Boris Johnson it is now almost impossible to fulfill the commitment he had made, namely to arrive at Brexit (possibly orderly) by 31 October. The latest twist came on Monday, when the Premier tried for the second time to obtain the go-ahead from the House of Commons for the agreement which he himself negotiated last week with Brussels. But the speaker of the House, John Bercow, denied a new vote, because the text had already been voted on on Saturday. Moreover, during that same extraordinary session, an amendment had been passed which requires approval of the implementing law (not yet made public by Johnson) before the agreement.
The British Prime Minister, who was absent from Westminster yesterday, accused Bercow of opposing the popular will. Under the same amendment passed Saturday, Johnson was forced to send a new one immediately request for extension of deadlines to the European Commission: if the other 27 EU countries agree, therefore, the date of the divorce from Great Britain will be moved from 31 October to 31 January.
However, together with the (unsigned) extension request, Johnson also sent another (signed) letter to Brussels in which in fact denies the first text and asks that it be rejected, calling it "an error". A gimmick with which the Premiere tries to circumvent the anti no deal law – approved a few weeks ago, before the closure of Parliament – which required him to ask for a further extension of terms in the event of no agreement by last Saturday. For this ploy, the opposition could ask to indict the head of government.
At this point, with the classroom discussion of the implementing law, it will also begin a battle of amendments, with Labor poised to table one that would submit any agreement to a referendum which also includes the possibility of voting for remaining in the Union.
In Brussels, even if a new postponement now seems inevitable, we are waiting. There Germany is ready to approve a short technical extension, while Macron he said that a postponement now serves no one. A true one would open the doors to Hard Brexit.
