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| Brexit and 'no-deal': What just happened in the UK Parliament? | Brexit and 'no-deal': What just happened in the UK Parliament? |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| It's been a very big day in British politics. | It's been a very big day in British politics. |
| The government has suffered a major defeat, with potentially significant consequences for Brexit - specifically when it happens and how it happens. | The government has suffered a major defeat, with potentially significant consequences for Brexit - specifically when it happens and how it happens. |
| An early election is now also on the cards. | An early election is now also on the cards. |
| Here's your guide to the bruising face-off between parliament and Prime Minister Boris Johnson. | Here's your guide to the bruising face-off between parliament and Prime Minister Boris Johnson. |
| This is all about who's driving Brexit ahead of the 31 October deadline for the UK to leave the EU. | |
| Mr Johnson has been determined to leave by that date with or without a deal. | Mr Johnson has been determined to leave by that date with or without a deal. |
| On Tuesday, politicians opposed to "no-deal" grabbed the steering wheel to block this outcome. They voted to seize control of the parliamentary agenda on Wednesday. | |
| They plan to pass a law to force Mr Johnson to delay Brexit until 31 January unless MPs approve a new deal. | |
| However Mr Johnson won't ask the EU for more time. He said the government would instead call for an early election. | |
| But it's unclear if two-thirds of MPs will agree, as required. | |
| How did we get here? | How did we get here? |
| The British public voted to leave the EU well over three years ago. | The British public voted to leave the EU well over three years ago. |
| In order to do that, the last prime minister, Theresa May, negotiated a deal with the EU covering the terms on which the "divorce" would happen. Break-up day was meant to be 29 March 2019. | In order to do that, the last prime minister, Theresa May, negotiated a deal with the EU covering the terms on which the "divorce" would happen. Break-up day was meant to be 29 March 2019. |
| Then, as now, parliament disagreed with the government. Mrs May couldn't get her deal through and was forced to ask for Brexit to be delayed. Eventually she stepped down. | Then, as now, parliament disagreed with the government. Mrs May couldn't get her deal through and was forced to ask for Brexit to be delayed. Eventually she stepped down. |
| Boris Johnson was voted in as the new leader by members of the Conservative Party and became prime minister in late July. | Boris Johnson was voted in as the new leader by members of the Conservative Party and became prime minister in late July. |
| He vowed to take Britain out of the EU by the new deadline of 31 October, "no ifs or buts". | He vowed to take Britain out of the EU by the new deadline of 31 October, "no ifs or buts". |
| But like her, he now finds himself clashing with parliament, including some of his fellow Conservative politicians. | But like her, he now finds himself clashing with parliament, including some of his fellow Conservative politicians. |
| Why can't he do what he wants? | Why can't he do what he wants? |
| It's all about numbers. Boris Johnson, on Tuesday morning, had a working majority in parliament of one. | It's all about numbers. Boris Johnson, on Tuesday morning, had a working majority in parliament of one. |
| By late afternoon this razor-thin majority vanished when a Conservative MP defected to the pro-EU Liberal Democrats. | By late afternoon this razor-thin majority vanished when a Conservative MP defected to the pro-EU Liberal Democrats. |
| The arithmetic meant it was always going to be hard for the government to defeat a motion supported by a large group of MPs from many parties opposed to a no-deal Brexit. | The arithmetic meant it was always going to be hard for the government to defeat a motion supported by a large group of MPs from many parties opposed to a no-deal Brexit. |
| A major headache for Mr Johnson was that at least a dozen of his own MPs had made clear they were likely to rebel and vote for the motion. | A major headache for Mr Johnson was that at least a dozen of his own MPs had made clear they were likely to rebel and vote for the motion. |
| This "rebel alliance" agrees with a cross-section of MPs that a no-deal Brexit would cause economic chaos. | This "rebel alliance" agrees with a cross-section of MPs that a no-deal Brexit would cause economic chaos. |
| So they helped to take the parliamentary agenda out of the government's hands - the first step in passing a law to block no-deal. | So they helped to take the parliamentary agenda out of the government's hands - the first step in passing a law to block no-deal. |
| Such are the bitter divisions in the Conservative Party that they did this despite facing the threat of being barred from running for the party in future elections. | Such are the bitter divisions in the Conservative Party that they did this despite facing the threat of being barred from running for the party in future elections. |
| It's worth noting that Nicholas Soames - the grandson of Boris Johnson's political hero Winston Churchill - said he would be among the rebels. | It's worth noting that Nicholas Soames - the grandson of Boris Johnson's political hero Winston Churchill - said he would be among the rebels. |
| I thought time was tight? | I thought time was tight? |
| It is. Big Ben is undergoing repairs but the minutes are still ticking away in Westminster. | It is. Big Ben is undergoing repairs but the minutes are still ticking away in Westminster. |
| This is because of Mr Johnson's decision to ask the Queen to suspend parliament from sometime next week - squeezing the amount of time that MPs have to avert no-deal. | This is because of Mr Johnson's decision to ask the Queen to suspend parliament from sometime next week - squeezing the amount of time that MPs have to avert no-deal. |
| They will kick off the process on Wednesday by introducing legislation that could become law next week if it passes all hurdles. | They will kick off the process on Wednesday by introducing legislation that could become law next week if it passes all hurdles. |
| If it does, this would tie Mr Johnson's hands and compel the government ask for another Brexit delay. | If it does, this would tie Mr Johnson's hands and compel the government ask for another Brexit delay. |
| So where does the election come in? | So where does the election come in? |
| Mr Johnson has said there is no way he will ask the EU for another Brexit delay. | Mr Johnson has said there is no way he will ask the EU for another Brexit delay. |
| He has also said many times that by taking no-deal off the table, MPs will torpedo the UK's negotiations with the EU. | He has also said many times that by taking no-deal off the table, MPs will torpedo the UK's negotiations with the EU. |
| After the government lost the vote, he said it would call for an early election in mid-October. | After the government lost the vote, he said it would call for an early election in mid-October. |
| Why would Boris Johnson do this? We talked about numbers. Mr Johnson would hope his party could win a new majority in parliament that would make his Brexit plans much easier. Polls currently put the Conservatives at a healthy lead over Labour. | Why would Boris Johnson do this? We talked about numbers. Mr Johnson would hope his party could win a new majority in parliament that would make his Brexit plans much easier. Polls currently put the Conservatives at a healthy lead over Labour. |
| But many Conservatives fear that any election in an unpredictable political environment risks a hard-left government led by Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour Party. | But many Conservatives fear that any election in an unpredictable political environment risks a hard-left government led by Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the opposition Labour Party. |
| Some Westminster watchers believe that Mr Johnson actually doesn't want an early election at all. Two-thirds of MPs would need to vote for one and while Labour has long called for an election, senior figures have said it wants one on its "own terms". | Some Westminster watchers believe that Mr Johnson actually doesn't want an early election at all. Two-thirds of MPs would need to vote for one and while Labour has long called for an election, senior figures have said it wants one on its "own terms". |
| Some MPs are worried he could call an election and later change the date to after 31 October, the current Brexit deadline. | Some MPs are worried he could call an election and later change the date to after 31 October, the current Brexit deadline. |
| If that happened he could tell voters he achieved Brexit, no ifs or buts. | If that happened he could tell voters he achieved Brexit, no ifs or buts. |