NEW: Rebel British lawmakers halt key Brexit vote as Oct. 31 deadline approaches
LONDON – In a surprise move, opposition and rebel British lawmakers voted to postpone an important Brexit vote on Saturday, legally forcing Prime Minister Boris Johnson to request a delay to Britain's departure from the European Union.The outcome, and Johnson's response, injects considerable confusion and uncertainty into the Brexit process and piles pressure on Britain's leader just three months into his tenure.
Still, while Johnson claimed he is not compelled by the law to ask the EU for a Brexit extension, it's a statement that flies in the face of legislation passed by Parliament. Acrimony, divisions, frustration: UK's 3-year Brexit battle nears end but it's not over He now faces the humiliation of Brexit unraveling after repeatedly promising to get it done by Oct 31. Earlier this year, Parliament passed separate legislation that compels the prime minister to ask the EU for a Brexit extension to avert a"no-deal" Brexit. Johnson has been non-committal about his willingness to abide by that law, too.
The fate of the United Kingdom, made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, is also to an extent tied to Brexit, if it happens.
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