Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered another setback on Monday when the House of Commons speaker refused permission to allow another vote on the Brexit agreement he reached with Brussels on Thursday last, on the ground that it would be repetitive.
Speaker John Bercow ruled much to the chagrin of the ruling benches that allowing the vote again would go against the long-standing convention stipulating that the same motion that has been considered previously by the House cannot be brought again in the same session.
He said: “Today’s motion is in substance the same as Saturday’s motion, and the house has decided the matter. Today’s circumstances are in substance the same as Saturday’s circumstances. The motion will not be debated today, as it would be repetitive and disorderly to do so.”
The House had debated the agreement in the special session on Saturday and voted for an amendment that forced the government to seek a delay to the October 31 Brexit date. Refusing the permission provoked charges of bias against the speaker.
The Johnson government accused critics of resorting to ‘procedural tricks’ in parliament to ensure that Brexit does not happen on October 31. Due to the short time remaining before the Brexit date, the government faces a challenge to get required legislation passed.
{{/usCountry}}The Johnson government accused critics of resorting to ‘procedural tricks’ in parliament to ensure that Brexit does not happen on October 31. Due to the short time remaining before the Brexit date, the government faces a challenge to get required legislation passed.
{{/usCountry}}Under the amendment passed on Saturday, the agreement cannot come into force until the legislation – called the Withdrawal Agreement Bill – is passed. The voluminous bill was expected to be published on Monday evening.
Ian Blackford, leader of the Scottish National Party, called on the government “not to bulldoze” the bill through parliament and give time for “full scrutiny”.
The bill will be subject to amendments, debates and votes in both houses of parliament. The government hopes to complete the process before October 31, with EU leaders awaiting the outcome before deciding on the request to delay the Brexit date.
The bill’s purpose is to turn the withdrawal agreement reached by Johnson last week into UK law and to give the government permission to ratify it. The agreement sets out the terms on which the UK will leave the EU.
On Monday, Scotland’s highest court delayed a decision on whether Johnson fully complied with a law when he sent two contradictory letters to Brussels on Saturday to seek an extension to the Brexit date, one signed and the other unsigned.
The government argued in the Court of Session that legal obligations were fulfilled, judges said the case should be continued until it was clear that the obligations under the legislation had been “complied with in full”.