This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46393399
The article has changed 95 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
Next version
Version 56 | Version 57 |
---|---|
Brexit: What happens now? | Brexit: What happens now? |
(about 1 month later) | |
Both houses of Parliament have now passed a law that is designed to stop a no-deal Brexit on 31 October. | |
If no deal is agreed by 19 October, and MPs don't vote in favour of no deal, then the prime minister will be legally obliged to ask the EU for a Brexit delay. | |
If he refused, it would almost certainly lead to a legal battle. | |
The only obvious way around this would be to hold a general election. | |
Snap election | |
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is seeking to hold an early election on 15 October. | |
He needs two-thirds of MPs to support an early election. The government's first motion to secure this failed but there will be another attempt on Monday. | |
Theoretically, there is another way he could achieve his goal. A short new law specifying the date of an early general election would require only a simple majority and not need two-thirds of MPs. | |
If polling day was set before 31 October, then what would happen next on Brexit would depend on the outcome of the election. | |
How soon could there be a general election? | |
No-deal Brexit on 31 October | |
The default position is the UK will leave the EU on 31 October at 23:00 GMT. | |
Even if the prime minister requests an extension there is no guarantee that the other EU countries would agree. | |
Alternatively, a snap election could produce a new House of Commons that would vote in favour of no deal. Or a new government with a clear majority could choose to repeal the law. | |
Leaving without a deal (or withdrawal agreement) means the UK would immediately exit the customs union and single market - arrangements designed to make trade easier. | |
Many politicians and businesses say this would damage the economy. Others say the risks are exaggerated. | |
Vote of no confidence | |
Another possibility is a vote of no confidence in the government. | |
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has previously said he would table such a motion. There's also been a suggestion that Boris Johnson could call a no confidence vote in his own government. | |
If more MPs vote for the no-confidence motion than against it, there would then be a 14-day window to see if the current government - or an alternative one with a new prime minister - could win a vote of confidence. | |
A new government appointed in this way would probably then seek a Brexit delay - perhaps to hold a general election or another referendum. | |
But if no-one wins a confidence vote, triggering a general election Mr Johnson goes into as prime minister, he could choose to hold it after 31 October, when Brexit would have already happened. | |
Pass a deal by 31 October | |
The government's preferred option to prevent a no-deal Brexit is for the UK Parliament to ratify a withdrawal agreement with the EU before the end of October. | |
But the existing deal negotiated by Theresa May and her government has been defeated in the House of Commons several times - and Boris Johnson has said it is dead. | |
The government hopes it can secure a new deal from the EU - or an amended version of the existing deal without the Irish backstop, which the government opposes. | |
The backstop is a measure aimed at preventing any possibility of border posts and checks between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. | |
But while the EU has said it would consider any new UK proposals, it has repeatedly stated the backstop is a critical part of the deal. | |
Cancel Brexit | |
There is also the legal option of cancelling Brexit altogether by revoking Article 50. | |
But clearly, this is not something the current government is contemplating - so it's only really possible to imagine this outcome after a change of government. | |
Previous version
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
Next version