Letwin amendment passed: Brexit vote over Boris Johnson’s deal to be delayed until next week

Boris Johnson has been dealt a major blow in the Commons today after MPs approved the Letwin amendment, which forces the PM to seek a Brexit extension.

The amendment to the Government’s Brexit deal motion, put forward by Independent MP Sir Oliver Letwin, withholds Parliamentary approval for the PM’s deal until further primary legislation has been passed.

As Parliament met on a weekend for the first time in nearly four decades, 322 MPs voted in favour of the amendment, while 306 voted against it – a majority of 16.

The House of Commons Twitter account posted saying that the Government now “must ask for an extension of Article 50 under the Benn Act and set out how it intends to proceed”.

However, moments after the results were announced, Mr Johnson insisted it was not a huge setback, adding: “I will not negotiate a delay with the EU and neither does the law compel me to do so.”

He added: “No delays, and I will continue to do all I can to get Brexit done on October 31st.”

The Government said earlier today that it would suspend the main meaningful vote on Mr Johnson’s new Brexit deal if Sir Oliver’s motion passed. 

Shortly after the result was announced, Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg confirmed the Government is now planning on holding a meaningful vote on Monday.

Mr Johnson told the Commons: “Further delay would be bad for this country, bad for our EU and bad for democracy.

“So next week the Government will introduce the legislation needed for us to leave the EU with our new deal on October 31st and I hope that our EU colleagues and friends will not be attracted as the benches opposite are, or rather I should say the front bench, by delay.”

He added: “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.”

Speaking in the Commons after his amendment was passed, Sir Oliver told MPs that he believed his motion was “profoundly in the national interest”.

“A hope that I share with the Prime Minister, but it will do so on the basis of knowing should anything go wrong, we will not crash out without a deal on that date,” he added.

Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn said he welcomed MPs voting for the Letwin amendment.

He added: “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.

“Today is a historic day for Parliament because it has said it will not be blackmailed by a Prime Minister who is apparently prepared once again to defy a law passed this Parliament.

“I invite him to think very carefully about the remarks he just made about refusing apparently to apply for the extension which the EU number 2 Act requires him to do.”

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