Boris Johnson's plan to force his Brexit bill through parliament by October 31 rejected by MPs

Getty

Boris Johns

• Boris Johnson's bid to force through Brexit laws in time for the UK to leave the EU on October 31, has been rejected by members of Parliament.
• MPs voted to reject Johnson's accelerated timetable to pass his Brexit bill.
• Johnson had insisted he would pull his bill altogether and push for a general election if MPs forced him to delay Brexit.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Boris Johnson's plan to take the UK out of the EU by October 31 has been dealt a major blow after MPs rejected his attempt to ram crucial Brexit legislation through parliament.

Members of Parliament on Tuesday evening voted by 322 to 308 votes against the government's timetable for passing its Brexit legislation in a dramatic blow to Johnson's Brexit plan, just minutes after they had approved his deal in principle.

If passed, the motion would have forced Parliament to hold 12-hour sessions and sit at the weekend in order to secure parliamentary approval for key pieces of Brexit legislation in time for the Halloween exit date.

Johnson said he was disappointed by the decision to delay passage of his deal and said he would "pause" the legislation.

He added that the "EU must make up their minds about Parliament's request for delay."

The decision came after MPs accused the prime minister of trying to avoid parliamentary scrutiny of his Brexit deal with the EU, by pushing legislation through the House of Commons and House of Lords without proper oversight.

The government on Monday night published the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, a key piece of legislation which contains hundreds of pages of details on the UK government's new Brexit deal with the EU.

MPs had just hours to read the document before voting in a second reading of the Bill on Tuesday.

One former minister told Business Insider that being asked to read the document overnight was "absurd."

Speaking earlier in the day, Johnson said his government would withdraw the Withdrawal Agreement Bill and push for a general election if MPs voted down the programme motion and forced him to delay Brexit until next year.

What is in the Withdrawal Agreement Bill?

Aaron Chown/Pool via REUTERS

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets with European Parliament President David Sassoli (not pictured), at Downing Street, in London, Britain October 8, 2019.

The Withdrawal Agreement Bill is designed to give legal effect to the Brexit deal negotiated by Johnson and allow Britain to legally leave the EU, while entering a 14 month transition period.

The bill is based on a previous agreement negotiated by Theresa May but with significant differences in the relationship between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom.

Under the agreement Northern Ireland would remain tied to EU customs rules after Brexit.

This measure has proved hugely controversial because it will mean new checks in the Irish Sea, something that has outraged unionists in Northern Ireland.

Other aspects of the deal include provisions for the UK to pay its £39 billion "divorce bill" to the EU as well as provisions to maintain the rights of EU citizens living in the UK after Brexit.

Opponents of the bill are concerned about several other aspects of the agreement, including provisions which would allow the prime minister to take Britain out of the EU without a deal at the end of the transition period.

Our Brexit Insider Facebook group is the best place for up-to-date news and analysis about Britain's departure from the EU, direct from Business Insider's political reporters. Join here.