United Kingdom and Gibraltar European Union membership referendum
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That's what it's all about: The British Parliament is to vote again today on early elections. Last Wednesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson failed to win the necessary two-thirds majority with his first attempt to win new elections.
Johnson hopes that elections will improve parliament's power balance after losing his majority there. The opponents of the hard Brexit, however, see the danger that Johnson could recapture by a new majority the law that excludes an EU exit without agreement. The lower house had adopted it on Thursday, the House of Lords on Friday. The signature of the Queen still stands out - only with her the law comes into force.
Johnson's opponents make early elections conditional, such as a vote taking place after London has requested a postponement of the withdrawal date in Brussels.
16:06 clock
The parliament is still not discussing the Brexit, currently there is a question and answer session on education.
But it is already clear that it will be turbulent later: two MPs have submitted applications for emergency debates. One of them is Dominic Grieve , a conservative pro-European who was expelled last week by Boris Johnson for his rejection of a tough Brexit from the Tory faction. Grieve wants to force the government to release previously unpublished documents . It is about private correspondence, which should explain the background of the planned suspension of Parliament. Grieve also demands access to "Operation Yellowhammer" documents describing the progress of preparations for unregulated Brexit.
Besides Grieve, Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn has requested an emergency debate. His application is about legal principles. More details are not known yet.
The lower house spokesman John Bercow decides whether the debates will take place or not. Given parliamentarians' great anger at Johnson's decision to send Parliament into a forced break as of this evening, it is expected that he will grant one or both applications.
15:48 clock
Surprisingly, a spokesman for the government announced in the afternoon that Prime Minister Boris Johnson wanted to send Parliament into a forced break already this evening . This would make today's meeting the last possible date before the planned Brexit on October 31, when Boris Johnson could vote on new elections - and the opposition on measures to prevent an unregulated exit from the EU.
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The quick overview
When wrestling for the Brexit you can ever lose track. That's why you'll find the events of the past week summarized here :
- Last Tuesday , Premier Johnson's opponents made a first coup: Parliament Speaker John Bercow admitted an emergency debate on a no-deal Brexit .
- Johnson lost his majority in parliament shortly before. Conservative MP Phillip Lee left the government faction in protest of Johnson's Brexit policy and took his place with the Liberal Democrats.
- On Tuesday evening, MEPs then voted to hold a no-no-deal bill . Twenty-one Tories also opposed the government - they were subsequently expelled by Johnson from the group and thus also from the party. (More about Tuesday's events can be found here.)
- On Wednesday evening , the lower house approved the no-no-deal law .
- With a request for new elections Johnson subsequently failed in parliament. (Read more about Wednesday's events here.)
- On Thursday , the House of Lords also voted in favor of the no-no-deal law.
- Also on Thursday , the government promised to stop blocking the law against a hard Brexit.
- Premier Johnson announced he would vote again on new elections . His opponents see it as an attempt to break the law against the No Deal yet.