BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg brilliantly explained where the UK is with Brexit on the Brexitcast last night after MPs voted forcing Prime Minister Boris Johnson to request an extension to Article 50.
Brexit: Kuenssberg says Letwin amendment is a ‘hurdle’
The political editor explained the Brexit delay voted on under the Letwin Amendment does not delay the UK leaving the EU forever. She added MPs voted to say Boris Johnson can't have his Brexit deal yet until the EU grant an a three-month extension until January 2020. It comes as Mr Johnson pulled the vote on his deal and Tory MPs stormed out of the House of Commons as
Speaking on Brexicast, Ms Kuenssberg said: “MPs today (yesterday) voted not on whether to delay Boris Johnson’s deal forever.
“MPs voted basically saying you can’t have your deal yet.
“It gave the Government a bigger hurdle to have to jump over before the Prime Minister is able to get the clear thumbs up or thumbs down.”
Co-host Adam Fleming added: “The crux of the Benn Act, this idea of insuring there wasn’t a no deal Brexit at the end of this month.
“It rested on that if there wasn’t either the endorsement of the deal by Parliament or the endorsement of no deal by Parliament then a letter would have to be sent requested a delay.
“If Parliament had backed the deal today and would have been backing a deal and therefore Benn would have fallen away.”
Boris Johnson has sent the request to the EU (Image: Parliament TV)
The comments come as Mr Johnson sent a letter to the EU requesting an extension, as he was legally obliged to after Parliamentary shenanigans saw a vote on his deal delayed.
But he also asked Brussels to “send Parliament a message”, making it clear the EU would reject any further delay to Brexit, sources said.
He wrote a similar letter to MPs and Peers warning that the EU could turn down an extension request.
MPs were supposed to vote on his deal yesterday but an amendment by Sir Oliver Letwin meant he was forced to cancel the vote.
Frustration with the blocking moves by the Remainer alliance of Labour, Scottish Nationalist, Lib Dem and rebel Tory MPs appeared to be growing on the continent with diplomatic sources insisting that MPs would need to have a meaningful vote on the deal before any other decision can be made.
The Prime Minister warned MPs will have no option but to choose between his deal and no deal.
He told them: “I will not negotiate a delay with the EU and neither does the law compel me to do so. I will tell our friends and colleagues in the EU exactly what I have told everyone else in the last 88 days that I have served as prime minister: that further delay would be bad for this country, bad for the European Union and bad for democracy.”
The Government has confirmed that it intends to bring back the meaningful vote tomorrow or Tuesday at the latest to force MPs to finally make a decision.
