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Brexit: UK will leave EU this month, Michael Gove says Brexit: UK will leave EU this month, ministers insist
(32 minutes later)
Minister Michael Gove has insisted the UK will still leave the EU by 31 October, despite a government letter sent to Brussels asking for a delay. Ministers insist the UK will leave the EU by 31 October, despite a letter sent to Brussels asking for a delay.
Boris Johnson sent the letter - unsigned - after a major setback in the Commons to his Brexit strategy.Boris Johnson sent the letter - unsigned - after a major setback in the Commons to his Brexit strategy.
But the request was accompanied by a second letter, signed by the PM, saying he believed a delay would be a mistake.But the request was accompanied by a second letter, signed by the PM, saying he believed a delay would be a mistake.
Mr Gove told Sky News the government still had "the means and ability" to leave on 31 October. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the PM had "proved the doubters wrong" by getting a new deal and he was confident Brexit would still happen on Halloween.
The minister, who as chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is in charge of no-deal planning, said "the prime minister's determination is absolute" and the government's "determined policy" was to meet that deadline. His colleague, Michael Gove, told Sky News' Sophy Ridge the government had "the means and ability" to leave on 31 October.
"We know that the EU want us to leave, we know that we have a deal that allows us to leave," he told the Sophy Ridge programme. EU Council President Donald Tusk has acknowledged receipt of the UK's extension request and said he would consult EU leaders "on how to react".
Mr Johnson has spoken to fellow leaders and Mr Tusk, telling them the letter "is Parliament's letter, not my letter".
The prime minster had intended to bring his deal to Parliament on Saturday - the first such sitting in the Commons for 37 years - and ask MPs to approve it.
However, MPs instead voted in favour of an amendment withholding approval of the deal until all the necessary legislation to implement it had been passed.
Tabled by Tory MP Sir Oliver Letwin, the amendment was intended to ensure that Mr Johnson would comply with the terms of the so-called Benn Act designed to eliminate any possibility of a no-deal exit on 31 October.
Under that act, Mr Johnson had until 23:00 BST on Saturday to send a letter requesting a delay to the UK's departure - something he did with, albeit without his signature.
Mr Letwin told the BBC's Andrew Marr his amendment was "an insurance policy" and now it had passed, he would give his full support to the prime minister's deal.
However, Mr Gove, who as chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster is in charge of no-deal planning, accused those who backed it of voting "explicitly to try to frustrate this process and to drag it out"
He said "the prime minister's determination is absolute" and the government's "determined policy" was to meet the 31 October deadline.
"We know that the EU want us to leave, we know that we have a deal that allows us to leave," he added.
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