No-deal more likely if lawmakers reject Brexit vote

A failure to pass a timetable for getting legislation in place for Britain’s departure from the European Union on Oct. 31 increases the risk of the country leaving without an agreement, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said on Tuesday. Johnson is battling to get the legislation, called the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, through parliament to try to meet his deadline for quitting the EU at the end of October.

But opposition lawmakers fear they are not being given enough time to make their decision, which will be the biggest shift in British policy in more than 40 years, and may vote against the government’s tight timetable as set out in a so-called programme motion. “Voting down a programme motion has serious implications.

It means legislation can drift on and on ... Voting down the programme motion risks handing control over the situation to the European Union and therefore making no deal more likely,” he said. “If the programme motion is passed then we have a clear path to leave the EU with a deal on Oct. 31.

If the programme motion is not passed, and we cannot guarantee having a deal completed by October 31st, there is no guarantee the EU will grant an extension.” Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned parliament yesterday that if it delayed his Brexit legislation he would abandon his attempt to ratify the deal to leave the European Union and push for an election instead.