This archive report was first published on 4 September 2019.
On Tuesday, September 3, 2019, opposition and rebel lawmakers in Britain's Parliament took control of the legislative agenda from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, introducing a measure that would require the government to request a Brexit extension if no agreement is reached with the European Union by the October 31 deadline.
Prime Minister Johnson had been bracing for this confrontation after lawmakers returned to work a week after his shocking announcement of a suspension of Parliament this month. That move, which had limited the time for lawmakers to find a way to prevent Britain from crashing out of the European Union without a deal, angered the opposition and aggravated divisions within his own party.
Mr. Johnson has vowed that Britain will leave the European Union on October 31, with or without a deal. However, opposition parties and a significant number of rebels in his Conservative Party are adamantly opposed to a no-deal Brexit, which they say would be chaotic and economically damaging in the short and long term.
Seeking to tie Parliament's hands, Mr. Johnson said last week that he had asked the queen to prorogue, or suspend, Parliament later this month, cutting short the already tight time frame for lawmakers to come up with a way to prevent Britain from crashing out of the European Union with no agreement in place.
Lawmakers are expected to approve the legislation requiring the government to seek a Brexit extension on Wednesday, September 4, 2019, which would mean new elections could be announced as early as Thursday, September 5, 2019.
Mr. Johnson has made it clear that he was unalterably opposed to seeking another extension, and on Tuesday, he reiterated his plan to call for snap elections if the legislation were approved.
"I don't want an election, the public don't want an election, but if the House votes for this bill tomorrow, the public will have to choose who goes to Brussels on October 17 to sort this out and take this country forward," Mr. Johnson said, referring to the next European Union summit, which is seen as the final moment for a deal to be reached.
