Peterborough MPs split as Commons votes to block no deal Brexit
A plan to legally block Boris Johnson from pursuing a no deal Brexit without the consent of Parliament has been approved by the House of Commons.
MPs voted by 327 to 299 to pass the legislation requiring the Prime Minister to reach a deal with the EU by mid-October, or formally request another extension until the end of January.
Labour’s MP for Peterborough Lisa Forbes supported the bill, while Cambridgeshire MP for North West Cambridgeshire Shailesh Vara voted against it.
Ms Forbes, who was elected in a by-election in June, has previously described a no deal Brexit as “catastrophic,” while Mr Vara has repeatedly insisted that the UK has nothing to fear about leaving the EU without an agreement.
The bill was only tabled after MPs yesterday (Tuesday) passed a motion allowing backbenchers to take control of the agenda in Parliament.
Ms Forbes had backed the motion, while Mr Vara opposed it.
Twenty one Tory MPs – some former ministers and senior members of the party – rebelled against the Government yesterday and subsequently had the whip removed.
The bill will now go to the House of Lords.
It states that if the UK and EU have not reached a deal by October 19 then Mr Johnson would have to request a Brexit extension.
Mr Johnson has said he would be tabling a motion for an early General Election after this vote – due to take place around 9pm this evening – in an attempt to stop the bill in its tracks.