Iran Press/Europe: British lawmakers defeated Prime Minister Boris Johnson in parliament on Tuesday in a bid to prevent him from taking Britain out of the EU without a divorce agreement, prompting the prime minister to announce that he would immediately push for a snap election.
The government was defeated by 328 to 301 on a motion put forward by opposition parties and rebel lawmakers in Johnson’s party - who had been warned they would be kicked out of the Conservative Party if they defied the government, Reuters reported.
Following the defeat, Johnson said in a statement: “Let there be no doubt about the consequences of this vote tonight. It means that parliament is on the brink of wrecking any deal we might be able to strike in Brussels. Because tomorrow’s bill would hand control of the negotiations to the EU.
“And that would mean more dither, more delay, more confusion. And it would mean that the EU themselves would be able to decide how long to keep this country in the EU. And since I refuse to go along with that plan we are going to have to make a choice,” added British PM.
The UK has spent nearly three years trying to negotiate a divorce from the European Union, following the June 2016 referendum that resulted in the surprise victory of those in favor of Brexit.
One of the main concerns of the British people these days is the provision and storage of necessary food and medicine.
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Johnson had vowed to take Britain out of the European Union by October 31, with an agreement or without it.
But now the defeat leaves the course of Brexit unresolved, with possible outcomes still ranging from a turbulent ‘no-deal’ exit to abandoning the whole endeavor.
Tuesday’s victory is only the first hurdle for lawmakers, enabling them to take control of the parliamentary business. 101/214
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