A defiant Boris Johnson has said he will not negotiate a fresh Brexit delay with the EU despite losing a key Commons vote.
At a special Saturday sitting, MPs voted by 322 to 306 in favour an amendment withholding approval of his Brexit deal until legislation to implement it is in place.
The amendment tabled by former Cabinet minister Sir Oliver Letwin was intended to force him to comply with the so-called Benn Act requiring him to seek a Brexit extension.
But amid noisy Commons scenes, Mr Johnson insisted that he was not “daunted or dismayed” by the result and remained committed to taking Britain out by October 31.
“I will not negotiate a delay with the EU, neither does the law compel me to do so,” he said.
Downing Street refused to offer any explanation as to why the Prime Minister did not consider he was obliged to negotiate a fresh extension.
Asked if previous statements from ministers that the Government would comply with the law still stood, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman told a Westminster briefing: “Governments comply with the law.”
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn warned Mr Johnson that he could not ignore the provisions of the Benn Act.
Boris Johnson's deal has been defeated. He must now obey the law – there cannot be a No Deal crash out from the European Union.
And we must give the people the final say on Brexit. pic.twitter.com/0aTmNSXDEl
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) October 19, 2019
“It’s an emphatic decision by this House that has declined to back the Prime Minister’s deal today and clearly voted to stop a no-deal crash-out from the European Union,” he said.
The SNP leader at Westminster Ian Blackford said that if Mr Johnson acted as if we was “above the law”, he would find himself in court.
Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson said: “The most urgent thing right now is the Prime Minister complies with the law.”
The European Commissions’ chief spokeswoman Mina Andreeva urged the Government “to inform us about the next steps as soon as possible”.
DUP Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson told Sky News: “I don’t believe that the extension needs to be for very long.
“I believe that this deal can be changed sufficiently to get a quick result.
“We will not be voting for a deal which separates Northern Ireland from the rest of the United Kingdom.
“The shorter the extension the better. The whole point of the extension should be to quickly undo the damage which this deal does to the union.
“It could be done by Monday if there was a will.”
The Benn Act sets a deadline of 11 pm on Saturday for the Prime Minister to get a deal if the UK is to leave on October 31, otherwise he is supposed to seek an extension.
Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said the Government was planning to give MPs a fresh chance to have a “meaningful vote” on the deal hammered out by Mr Johnson with Brussels on Monday.
The voting took place as tens of thousands of protesters converged on central London in People’s Vote campaign march in support of a second referendum.
The result was greeted by loud cheers by the crowd assembled outside the Palace of Westminster in Parliament Square.
The Government was consigned to defeat after the 10 MPs of Mr Johnson’s erstwhile allies in the DUP joined the other opposition parties in voting the amendment.
The party is furious about the proposed customs arrangements for Northern Ireland which would see checks on good coming from the rest of the UK.
Ten former Conservative MPs who now sit as independents, including former cabinet ministers Ken Clarke, Philip Hammond and Amber Rudd, also backed the amendment.
In contrast just six Labour rebels voted against it.
Following the vote Mr Johnson said that he did not believe the other EU member states would be “attracted” to a further delay.
He said the Government would be tabling legislation next week to implement the terms of the agreement.
“I hope that then Honourable Members, faced with a choice of our new deal for the UK and the European Union, will change their minds because it was pretty close today,” he said.
“I hope that they will change their minds and support this deal in overwhelming numbers.”
Boris Johnson’s hopes of getting Commons backing for his Brexit deal have hit a major stumbling block after MPs voted for an amendment which could force him to seek another delay.
But a defiant Mr Johnson responded to the vote by telling MPs: “I will not negotiate a delay with the EU and neither does the law compel me to do so.”
In a special Saturday sitting, the Commons voted by 322 to 306, majority 16, in favour of the amendment by the former Cabinet minister Oliver Letwin withholding approval until legislation to implement the deal is in place.
The vote on the Brexit deal between the UK and the EU was not held following the Letwin amendment.
Mr Letwin, one of the MPs to have the Tory whip withdrawn after rebelling on Brexit, said it was an “insurance policy” intended to ensure the UK cannot “crash out” of the EU on October 31 without a deal.
Under the terms of the so-called Benn Act, if he does not have agreement on a deal on Saturday, the Prime Minister is required to seek a further extension to the Article 50 withdrawal process until the end of January.
Ministers have signalled that they will press ahead with plans to table the legislation next week with a view to securing Britain’s departure by the end of the month.
Mr Johnson told the Commons after the vote: “It has been a very important debate, an exceptional moment for our country, an exceptional moment for our Parliament.
“Alas, the opportunity to have a meaningful vote has effectively been passed up because the meaningful vote has been voided of meaning.
“But I wish the House to know that I am not daunted or dismayed by this particular result and I think it probably became likely once it became obvious that the amendment from my right honourable friend, the member for West Dorset was going to remain on the order paper.
“I continue in the very strong belief that the best thing for the UK, and for the whole of Europe is for us to leave with this new deal on October 31, and to anticipate the questions that are coming from the benches opposite, I will not negotiate a delay with the EU.”
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn replied: “I welcome today’s vote. It’s an emphatic decision by this house that has declined to back the Prime Minister’s deal today, and clearly voted to stop a no-deal crash out from the European Union.
“The Prime Minister must now comply with the law. He can no longer use the threat of a no-deal crash out to blackmail members to support his sell out deal.”
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