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Brexit: 'I will not negotiate a delay with the EU,' Boris Johnson tells MPs after vote defeat – live news Brexit: 'I will not negotiate a delay with the EU,' Boris Johnson tells MPs after vote defeat – live news
(about 1 hour later)
The Lib Dem leader, Jo Swinson, says the deal is a bad deal and the public deserve to have a say. The decision by MPs to pass the Letwin amendment brings the legal action against the prime minister which resumes on Monday in Scotland’s highest civil court into sharp relief.
The most urgent thing now is that the prime minister complies with the law. The court of session will resume its hearing into a request for an emergency interdict, or injunction, to force Johnson to send the Brexit extension letter required by the Benn act.
She asks for parliament to be suspended so that Boris Johnson can send a letter asking the EU for a suspension and then come back to parliament and confirm that he has sent it. This request is declined by the speaker, John Bercow. Johnson told the Commons on Saturday he was not legally required to do so – a position the court is now likely to test on Monday.
Corbyn calls on Johnson to reconsider what he has said about not asking for an extension. 'I will not negotiate a delay with the EU and neither does the law compel me to do so'@BorisJohnson says he will not request an extension to Brexit https://t.co/CsFRue9gLi pic.twitter.com/vTzQ77atkn
The SNP’s leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford, asks the Speaker what can be done to ensure the government complies with the law and the Benn act. Ten days ago, Scotland’s most senior judge Lord Carloway, sitting with Lords Drummond-Young and Brodie, postponed a decision on enforcing the act’s provisions because they did not then know whether Johnson would have to uphold its provisions or would fail to do so.
Blackford says Johnson thinks “he’s above the law” but will find himself in court if he doesn’t abide by it. That case, brought by Dale Vince, the millionaire owner of the Ecotricity green energy company, Jolyon Maugham QC, the anti-Brexit campaigner, and Joanna Cherry QC, the SNP MP will resume at noon on Monday.
The PM says it was “pretty close” today and he hopes MPs will accept his deal next week in “overwhelming numbers”. So @BorisJohnson loses again today but is threatening not to comply with #BennAct or promises made to Scottish court. Just as well we are due back in court on Monday & Mr Speaker has just confirmed to me that he’ll sig #Extension letter if court so requires
I continue to commend this deal to the house. If Johnson has failed to send the letter as required, by 11pm tonight, the court is expected to rule on Monday on whether to give Johnson 24 hours to do so or face being held in contempt of court.
Jeremy Corbyn says that parliament has spoken. Legal sources believe the prime minister is in significant legal peril. Lawyers for the UK government told the court on 9 October they knew the solemn pledges given at an earlier hearing that Johnson would comply with the act were legally-binding.
It is an emphatic decision by this house ... The prime minister must now comply with the law. The UK government told the court of session on Friday 4 October the prime minister accepted “he is subject to the public law principle that he cannot frustrate its purpose or the purpose of its provisions. Thus he cannot act so as to prevent the letter requesting the specified extension in the act from being sent.”
He says Johnson can no longer use the threat of a no-deal crash-out to blackmail MPs. And the court will also adjudicate on a second part of the application: an interdict forcing the UK government not to frustrate or undermine the intent of the letter, by attempting to sidestep the extension move.
Boris Johnson thanks everyone for giving up their time but says “alas”, the opportunity to have a meaningful vote has been passed up. If he or his ministers, or their proxies, try to subvert the request for an extension – say be sending a second letter asking the EU to ignore the extension application, they will also be at risk of contempt .
He says he is not dismayed by the result. It is only if Johnson fails to send the letter and fails to adhere to the court’s interdict requiring him to do so that the court will consider the nuclear option. It has unique powers called nobile officium, which allow the court or its agent to send that letter to all 27 EU member states and institutions on Johnson’s behalf.
He continues in the strong belief that the best thing for the UK and the EU is to leave on 31 October. Those powers have never been used in such a way, and if the Scottish court uses them, would provoke another extraordinary constitutional confrontation. Assuming the court issues a definitive ruling next week, the case is expected to end up in the UK supreme court within days.
I will not negotiate a delay with the EU and neither does the law compel me to do so. Proceedings in the House of Commons have now been adjourned after a lengthy discussion about what happens next following the government’s defeat on the Letwin amendment.
The legislation will be introduced next week, says Johnson. Many opposition MPs were unhappy at the prospect of the government tabling another meaningful vote for Monday. It was unclear whether the speaker, John Bercow, will grant this.
The government loses. Last year, the speaker said the government could not keep bringing back the same question to parliament in the hope that they got a different answer.
322 to 306. The independent - former Labour - MP Jared O’Mara voted for the Letwin amendment, as did the vast majority of Labour MPs.
This withholds approval of the prime minister’s deal until the legislation to enact it – the EU withdrawal bill – is passed. Only the six usual Labour MPs voted with ⁦@BorisJohnson⁩ against the Letwin motion. pic.twitter.com/WjG8MNmgbW
Labour think they’ve won... The leader of the house, Jacob Rees-Mogg, suggested there could be a meaningful vote on the Brexit deal on Monday. This was then supported by Oliver Letwin, whose amendment prevented it happening today.
Think we’ve won Letwin amendment... But it is for the Speaker, John Bercow, to decide whether to allow that motion on Monday and he gave the strongest indication he would not.
Here’s what people are saying about the Letwin amendment vote: Bercow: "The apparent purpose of the said motion which ministers are attempting to table is to invalidate or obviate, the effect of the decision which the House reached today. And that does seem most curious or irregular."
Labour MP texts to confirm DUP walking with them through the lobbies to back the Letwin amendment Earlier, as the benches emptied out after the vote, the SNP’s Joanna Cherry QC asked Bercow if he would write the letter requesting an extension if the prime minister did not do so.
Govt preparing to lose Letwin He said he would do so if asked by the judge or MPs.
MPs are now voting on the Letwin amendment. Here is what the Conservatives are saying:
Michael Gove is up taking a conciliatory tone, stressing that he accepts everyone is acting in what he thinks are the best interests of the country. #BREAKING: Parliament has voted to delay Brexit again. The Prime Minister will not ask for a delay -- he will tell EU leaders there should be no more delays and we should get Brexit done on October 31st with our new deal so the country can move on. pic.twitter.com/5EE69IuhUO
But he says those he respects most are those from both benches who voted to remain but now are voting for the deal because it is the will of the British people. A spokeswoman for the European commission said it was up to the UK government to make the next move after the developments in the Commons. She said:
On that basis, he says the speech that stood out was that by Theresa May who voted for remain but now wants to honour the result of the referendum. The European commission takes note of the vote in the House of Commons today on the so-called Letwin amendment meaning that the withdrawal agreement itself was not put to vote today. It will be for the UK government to inform us about the next steps as soon as possible.
Gove says MPs should be prepared to put aside “our perfect Brexit” for the sake of the common good. A spokesman for the European council president, Donald Tusk, declined to comment. Ambassadors for the EU27 will meet on Sunday morning to discuss the latest developments.
He says if there is a vote to delay people will feel that parliament has shirked its responsibilities. More from the march ...
Asked a question about how the government will avoid a no deal if it is passed but legislation is not passed on time, Gove says the best way to avoid that is to vote for the government’s deal. Here's the scale of the crowd on the streets of London. Demonstrators are demanding a "final say" on the #BrexitDeal #PeoplesVoteMarch pic.twitter.com/G2X65uZBw4
If the amendment is passed there will be no meaningful vote today, he says. So proud of my father Uwe Kitzinger - probably the oldest person on the march today + central to the beginnings of UK's involvement in the EU @OxfordMail @BBCNews @josh_withey @Haroon_Siddique#PeoplesVote #PeoplesVoteMarch #StopBrexitMarch #VoteTheDealDown #FinalSay https://t.co/y1UAgSjBS3
If parliament votes for the deal unamended people will feel “like a cloud has lifted”, he claims. "People of all ages and backgrounds are here today," says Adchana Sivaram, who works in construction. "Brexit affects everyone. The referendum happened three years ago, it was very vague and a lot has happened since then. We should have the right to vote on the deal." pic.twitter.com/gmR58pSyAk
Another Tory who had the whip withdrawn has confirmed he will vote for Boris Johnson’s deal. Boris Johnson has until 11pm to send that extension letter to the EU.
I shall vote against The Letwin amendment and for the Deal I'm guessing Johnson will send a surly Benn act letter but wants a few hours of 'MPs spoil Brexit again' headlines first. Deadline is 11pm.
As the Brexit debate continues, so do Ukip’s travails. Organisers of the “people’s vote” march say there are 1 million people in attendance, my colleague Aamna Mohdin tells me.
It has taken steps to suspend its leader, Richard Braine, amid a fresh power struggle within the party, my colleague Aaron Walawalkar writes. 14-year-old Juliet is out on her first #PeoplesVoteMarch. “Half my friends are from other countries. I’ve already had one friend move back to Denmark because of Brexit.” pic.twitter.com/SABmSig9G0
Ukip attempts to suspend leader amid fresh power struggle within party Dario Mazzola, management consultant, who was arguing with pro-Brexit protesters said: “A true democracy involves open, candid, honest and truthful dialogueIf we cant talk to one another we will have a divided society.“ #PeoplesVoteMarch pic.twitter.com/hlkLhqRM1Z
A man has been arrested for trespass within the Palace of Westminster. Here is Boris Johnson’s response to the government defeat on the amendment:
At 1323hrs, officers arrested a 29-year-old man at the Palace of Westminster for trespassing at a protected site.He has been taken to a south London police station.Enquiries ongoing. 'I will not negotiate a delay with the EU and neither does the law compel me to do so'@BorisJohnson says he will not request an extension to Brexit https://t.co/CsFRue9gLi pic.twitter.com/vTzQ77atkn
Just before I spotted Jared O’Mara the police pinned someone to the ground outside Westminster Hall. So you could say it’s been an eventful half an hour. pic.twitter.com/8GBpzb9QDO You can see how everyone voted here.
Antoinette Sandbach, who had the Tory whip withdrawn last month, says she will back the Letwin amendment. The Letwin amendment in numbers. Here's how MPs voted: pic.twitter.com/Vx2QH1AARX
Making the point that she has voted for a Brexit deal more times than the prime minister, she says Johnson’s deal is “substantially worse”: As they go on debating whether the PM can be forced to write the letter to the EU requesting an extension, No 10 is keeping mum.
I’m not saying much about the deal. I was always taught that if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing. No10 flat refusing to say if Boris Johnson will write to Brussels requesting an extension
She also says she would vote for an amendment in favour of a “people’s vote” if there was an opportunity to do so. Even more extraordinary, one No10 spokesman suggest they are 'not allowed' to go beyond his words in the chamber. #classicdom?
The Lib Dems’ Tom Brake says the PM is a “colourful Pied Piper” who struck the deal to further his own ambition. Just come out of an extraordinary press briefing in which Downing St point blank refused to say whether Boris Johnson will write to Brussels to ask for an extension
Brake says Boris Johnson himself has said the deal may not survive the transition period and could still lead to a no-deal crash-out. This was the reaction on the “people’s vote” march:
He advocates a people’s vote, referencing “the hundreds of thousands of people over there in Parliament Square”. The moment when the Letwin amendment passed. #PeoplesVoteMarch pic.twitter.com/Pmy972RRsw
Brake urges MPs to support the Letwin amendment and reject the deal.
The Tory MP and former cabinet member Liam Fox says the amendment will not take EU off the table, as the government would be forced to ask the EU for any extension. The only way to prevent no deal is to vote for the PM’s deal, says Fox.
He says the government made a contract with the British people.
It’s a question of faith in our electoral system itself.
He says he has “strong reservations” about the deal but it’s time to deliver. Fox also voted three times for Theresa May’s deal.
The veteran Tory Eurosceptic Bill Cash has confirmed he will vote for the deal. He was a doubt for the government.
While the debate goes on in parliament ...
Kate Willoughby, actor, said: “I believe that woman like Emily Davison and Mary Leigh would be here today because 100 years ago only some women had the right to vote. Today only some voices are being heard in parliament. It’s time for people to have the final say.” #PeoplesVote pic.twitter.com/KNMbqkAwkf
"We've already got the best deal with Europe so why would we give that up," says Becky Wing, from Thanet Green Party. "This deal would put workers rights, animal rights, environmental protections and the NHS at huge risk. We want a people's vote." #PeoplesVoteMarch pic.twitter.com/ezdPlTJZCA
"It's been three years of lying from Johnson, Farage and Rees-Mogg," says Josh from Uxbridge. "I'm here both because I disagree with the actual decision to leave and how the process has been corrupted by Leave EU and others. Every element of Brexit is a complete mess." pic.twitter.com/WVIWDwavFs
The Speaker, John Bercow, had placed a five-minute rule on contributions from MPs. He has now reduced it to three minutes.
Chris Grayling uses his time to pay tribute to the prime minister and urge people to accept the deal.
Grayling also warns the Letwin amendment, if passed, may cause the house to decline to decide on a deal today.