Peers agree to pass Brexit delay bill as Johnson to address public
PM increasing pressure on Labour for general election
The UK's upper house on Thursday agreed to allow a law ruling out a no-deal Brexit to proceed before parliament is suspended next week as Prime Minister Boris Johnson prepared to “speak directly to the public”.
Pro-Brexit peers in the House of Lords were preparing to filibuster, or talk out, the bill using 100 amendments. There is no time limit on debate in the second chamber.
The bill had passed all its initial readings in the House of Commons on Wednesday, driven by opposition parties and assisted by 21 rebel Conservative MPs, all of whom have been sacked by Johnson for defying him.
However, at around 1.30am on Thursday after hours of debate, peers were informed the bill would return to the lower house by 5pm on Friday.
This means it could receive its final reading in the commons on Monday and presented for royal assent.
The deal came after Johnson’s push for an October general election failed in a night of heavy defeats for the government.
A Downing Street spokesman on Thursday said the prime minister would today “speak directly to the public, setting out the vital choice that faces our country”.
Labour said it was consulting on its next move. It wants the no-deal bill enshrined in law and Johnson to attend the European Union leaders summit on October 17 to prevent him calling an election and allowing Britain to crash out of the bloc on October 31.