United Kingdom and Gibraltar European Union membership referendum
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has refused to ask Brussels for a further postponement of the withdrawal date from the European Union. "I'd rather be dead in the ditch," he said. Another shift is "absolutely nothing, what on earth is the point of further delay?" Johnson said in a speech in northern England.
The British House of Lords is expected to pass the law against unregulated EU exit on 31 October on Friday. The bill had passed all three readings in the lower house on Wednesday against the will of Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The draft stipulates that the Prime Minister must file an application for a three-month extension of the Brexit deadline if no EU exit agreement has been ratified by 19 October.
On Thursday, the British government announced that it would stop blocking the no-deal law. It is expected to come into force before the compulsory break of Parliament imposed by Johnson next week.
Rebels leave Tory faction
The Prime Minister had recently made it clear that he wanted to leave the EU even without an agreement. Johnson threw 21 members from the Tory faction because they had voted against his own government in the dispute over his Brexit course. Johnson lost his majority in parliament.
Johnson then put forward early elections to vote, but the application failed. This is the first time in history that the opposition has voted to show confidence in the government, Johnson said afterwards.