Boris Johnson news: PM sends unsigned extension request to EU after he is forced to seek delay by MPs
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Boris Johnson has sent a series of letters to the EU after he was forced by MPs to seek a further Brexit extension.
The prime minister sent two letters to European Council president Donald Tusk – an unsigned message relaying parliament’s request for an extension to Brexit and a letter from him setting out why he does not believe delay would be in the interests of the EU or UK..
Downing Street said it believes the move fulfils the requirements of the Benn Act, which required the prime minister to seek an extension beyond his 31 October deadline if he was unable to secure parliamentary approval of his Brexit deal by the end of Saturday.
You can relive our coverage of a historic day in Westminster below:
Mr Johnson’s decision follows a tumultuous day in Parliament.
MPs backed a rebel amendment during a special Saturday sitting, throwing Mr Johnson’s Brexit plans into disarray by forcing him to seek the extension.
As hundreds of thousands of protesters took to the streets to call for a Final Say referendum, MPs used the historic sitting to approve amendment from Sir Oliver Letwin, which withholds Commons approval until legislation to ratify the Brexit deal has passed.
The prime minister insisted he “would not negotiate a delay” – despite being legally compelled to do so – prompting speculation No 10 might try to get around a law forcing the PM to send a letter to the EU asking to delay Brexit beyond the 31 October deadline.
In a letter to all MPs and peers, sent on Saturday evening, Mr Johnson repeated his claims.
“I will not negotiate a delay with the European Union,” he said.
“I will tell the EU what I have told the British public for my 88 days as Prime Minister: further delay is not a solution.”
Additional reporting by agencies
Good morning and welcome to our politics liveblog on the day of a crucial House of Commons vote which is set to decide whether or not the UK leaves the EU on 31 October.
Boris Johnson says ‘get Brexit done’
Boris Johnson has appealed to MPs to back his agreement with Brussels to “get Brexit done” - the phrase he has used repeatedly since he replaced Theresa May as prime minister.
Writing in The Sun, Johnson said: “Today can be the day we get Brexit done. There have been any number of false dawns. Deadlines for our departure have come and gone.
“I ask everyone to cast their mind forward to the end of today - and imagine what it could be like if the new Brexit deal has been approved.
“In less than two weeks, on October 31, we would be out of the EU. “A difficult, divisive and - yes - painful chapter in our history would be at an end.”
Johnson told the BBC on Friday night there is “no better outcome” than his deal.
“I just kind of invite everybody to imagine what it could be like tomorrow [Saturday] evening, if we have settled this, and we have respected the will of the people, because we will then have a chance to move on.
“I hope that people will think well, you know, what's the balance, what do our constituents really want?”
What happens in the Commons on ‘super’ Saturday?
However it is not as simple as a vote for or against the deal, on what is the first Saturday sitting of the Commons in 37 years.
Proceedings are expected to get underway at 9.30am – with Boris Johnson making a statement – but the vote may be delayed into the early evening by a series of proposed amendments: most notably the crucial “Letwin Amendment”.
An uphill battle has been made more arduous by Sir Oliver Letwin, the former Tory Cabinet minister who now sits as an independent, whose motion allowing for amendments to the Government's proposals was narrowly passed.
The MP subsequently put forward an amendment that, if selected by Speaker John Bercow and approved by MPs, would withhold approval of the deal unless and until implementing legislation has passed.
Sir Oliver explained his move, stating: "In short, my aim is to ensure that Boris's deal succeeds, but that we have an insurance policy which prevents the UK from crashing out on 31 October by mistake if something goes wrong during the passage of the implementing legislation."
Here is our full explainer on the day ahead.
Are you going on the march for a Final Say vote?
Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to swamp central London to demand a Final Say referendum on the deal.
It could be one of the largest political protests Britain has ever seen, reports political editor Andrew Woodcock.
TUC boss urges MPs to vote against deal
Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, called on MPs to vote against Boris Johnson’s deal.
In a series of tweets, she posted: “It seems govt will today announce these proposals, claiming they’ll protect workers' rights. We've looked at them and this is our analysis. These are paper promises that fail to mitigate the damage that this deal would do to working people.
“These proposals are entirely based on process rather than substance. A rehash of the flimsy offer Theresa May’s govt made in March. They do nothing to protect or improve workers’ rights, now or in the future.”
Bank of England governor says prospect of a deal ‘good news’
Bank of England governor Mark Carney said Britain’s planned Brexit deal would help the country's economy, but “almost existential” worries about global trade wars might prevent the BoE from raising interest rates.
Carney said the deal was “good news” because it means Britain could avoid what the BoE has warned would be a major economic shock: dropping out of the EU with no transition.
In an interview with Bloomberg Television at a meeting of the International Monetary Fund, Carney said clarity on Brexit would help to revive business investment that has fallen sharply since the 2016 referendum.
In a separate interview with the BBC, Carney said the deal “takes away the tail risk of a disorderly Brexit”.
He said it might not help the economy to the same extent as his predecessor Theresa May’s plan, which proposed closer ties with the EU but was rejected by parliament.
Asked if securing a Brexit transition meant the BoE would resume raising rates, Carney said: “Not necessarily. I’m not going to pre-commit, there is a lot of contingencies there.”
Bank of England governor Mark Carney (AFP)
Steve Barclay refuses to rule out pulling big vote on Brexit deal
Brexit secretary Steve Barclay repeatedly failed to rule out pulling the vote if a rebel amendment to delay Brexit succeeds.
The prime minister’s plans could be thrown into disarray by an amendment from Sir Oliver Letwin, which would withhold MPs approval until all the legislation for the Brexit deal has been passed.
This would mean the PM has to seek a delay from Brussels, after MPs passed a law compelling him to seek an extension if he had not struck a deal by 19 October.
Asked if the vote would go ahead, Mr Barclay said: “It’s always for business managers and we are focused on winning the deal, the vote and not having the Letwin amendment.”
Pressed again, he said: “We will address that if that vote passes.
Asked if it might not pass, he said: “But we are committed to defeating that because it will add further delay, further dither, further uncertainty, which is bad for investment and the economy.”
Could the government be ready to pull Brexit deal vote?
Speculation that No 10 is set to pull the big vote on Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal, if the Letwin amendment passes.
BREAKING: Speaker John Bercow selects Letwin amendment
Sir Oliver Letwin’s amendment has been selected for a vote. If it passes it looks as though the government will pull the big vote on its Brexit deal.
According to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg it could be put back until Tuesday.
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