British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a new setback yesterday as British lawmakers rejected a government request to disable parliament next week to allow Conservatives to attend their party's annual convention. ».
In detail, the government demanded that the parliament be suspended for three days, but 306 deputies rejected it, against 289 who supported it. The House of Commons reconvened on Wednesday, in a tense atmosphere after the Supreme Court's decision to cancel Johnson's decision to suspend the work of Parliament.
The decision could affect the date of the Conservative Party's annual congress, originally scheduled from Sunday to Wednesday in Manchester, northern England.
It is customary for the House of Commons to suspend its sessions during the annual conferences of political parties in September. But Johnson had asked for a suspension of the council's sessions from September 10 to October 14, two weeks before Brexit is due on October 31, under the pretext of preparing a new political platform.
The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday to cancel Johnson's application, after opponents resorted to the judiciary.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended his use of the "compliance law" to refer to a bill that would prevent Britain from leaving the European Union without agreement.
At a meeting of the 1922 Committee of Conservative Members of Parliament yesterday, Johnson rallied in support of his opinion on this law, which he believes undermines his negotiating position in Brussels.
Johnson has been criticized by opposition members of parliament and some of his conservative party members for using the term "compliance law", and some have said it is fracturing and even inciting violence against parliamentarians.
A Conservative lawmaker said Johnson told the committee "that it is indeed a compliance law", arguing that it harms Britain's negotiating position with the EU. But he added that he takes the risks that MPs might face very seriously.
The lawmaker also quoted Johnson as saying he could still reach an exit deal before October 31, but negotiations with Ireland on customs were "difficult."
Johnson praised what he described as progress in the exit talks, but EU officials said Britain still had to make "legal and practical" proposals to resolve the thorny issue of customs arrangements at the new border between Northern Ireland and Ireland after the exit.
Tension rose when Johnson attacked lawmakers who accused them of trying to weaken his negotiating position on the Brexit dossier, after lawmakers returned to parliament after the Supreme Court considered the prime minister's decision to suspend the assembly illegal.
Johnson has refused to apologize and has repeatedly criticized the House of Commons for passing what he called a "surrender law," demanding that he seek to delay Brexit beyond October 31 if he fails to reach an agreement with the EU.
Opposition Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbin said the prime minister's speech was "indistinguishable from the extreme right."
"We all need to recognize the impact of what we are saying to the public," said Culture and Information Minister Nicky Morgan.
Johnson says he wants to reach an agreement with Brussels before October 31, but says he is ready to take Britain out of the EU without an agreement if necessary.