Speaker refuses to allow vote on Brexit deal

"MPs have an opportunity to reject the false choice between Boris Johnson's bad deal and no deal", he wrote. British voters narrowly favored Brexit in a 2016 referendum, but British leaders have failed since then to draft an exit plan with the European Union that also could clear the House of Commons.

A delay might also be needed if the European Parliament - a legislature that ratifies treaties signed by EU leaders - gets bogged down with its own Brexit debates.

On Saturday, Members of Parliament (MP) backed a motion to further delay the process of Britain leaving the EU.

"A no-deal Brexit will never be our decision", Tusk said, to a round of applause.

"We've been waiting for three years for this decision".

He also spoke shortly before Johnson was to face crunch votes in Westminster on a bill to start ratification of his Brexit withdrawal agreement.

It is followed by a vote, which the government must win to proceed to the next stage of legislation.

Both are bitterly opposed by the Government.

Opponents of Johnson's deal could try to slow down the WAB's passage into law by introducing amendments meant to delay proceedings until time runs out - the U.K.is now scheduled to leave the European Union on October 31.

'We need now to watch events in Westminster very closely. It is expected shortly after 18:00 GMT.

David Allen Green is a former government lawyer.

"It has been irresponsible of government not to publish this bill before now, in draft for consultation", he posted on Twitter.

"Many governments did not want the Commission to be involved".

The intervention could cause serious problems for Mr Johnson, as his plans assume that a free trade deal will be in place by the end of 2020, when the transition period is due to end.

Boris Johnson is trying to speed through Brexit by 31st October.

If the gridlock in Parliament continues, the European Union could offer a longer delay but make it contingent on Britain holding a major event, such as a new referendum on Brexit or a general election. It would be a humiliating climbdown for the prime minister.

The opposition Labour party is considering amending the Withdrawal agreement to require that the United Kingdom remains in the EU's Custom Union (garlic to ERG vampires) and requiring a confirmatory vote on any deal.

This will be the first big test of parliamentary support for Johnson's deal, even though it's not directly a vote on the deal itself.

But MPs will be able to vote on amendments - changes or add-ons - to the bill.

There are 12 hours scheduled for further discussion on potential amendments on Wednesday, starting after 12:00 GMT. That is likely to be the vote on the third reading, which Mr Johnson hopes will happen on Thursday, but could be at a later date if ministers lose control of the timetable. Officials hope to have the bill approved by the Commons by the end of this week, then send it to Parliament's upper chamber, the House of Lords and have it passed into law before the October 31 deadline.

"First London, then Strasbourg", he said, echoing Tusk. A sense of the scale of the powers involved is provided by the Delegated Powers Memorandum, published alongside the bill: at 104 pages it is nearly twice as long as that for the government's last flagship Brexit act-the EU Withdrawal Act-which was heavily criticised in parliament for the number and scope of the powers it included.

The backstop, which sought to ensure a soft border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, hit a wall in the form of the European Research Group, a band of pro-Brexit Tories who voted against it, eventually leading to May's resignation.

Johnson cautioned parliament that if it delayed Brexit again by defeating his timetable then he would pull the legislation and push for an election which he would fight under the slogan of "Get Brexit Done".