Boris Johnson news – live: PM loses second attempt to trigger early general election
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Your support makes all the difference.No 10 has announced that a five-week suspension parliament will begin tonight, as Boris Johnson’s flies back from his first official meeting with Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar in Dublin.
It comes as the prime minister sets up a possible Brexit showdown in the Supreme Court after it emerged No 10 is ready to launch a legal fight against the anti-no deal legislation.
Mr Johnson is also reportedly ready to send a second letter to the EU – alongside the request for a three-month delay required of him – explaining he does not actually want any delay after 31 October. Labour figures branded the plan “illegal” and “monumentally ridiculous”.
We have now moved on to Jeremy Corbyn’s motion on the requirement of the government to comply with the law.
The debate began with this reassuring opening…
Thirteen independent MPs voted for Mr Grieve’s motion this evening - including seven former Conservative MPs (in bold) who were kicked out of the party last week.
Those MPs were:
Heidi Allen
Guto Bebb
Nick Boles
Ken Clarke
Frank Field
David Gauke
Justine Greening
Dominic Grieve
Sam Gyimah
Lady Hermon
Kelvin Hopkins
Oliver Letwin
Stephen Lloyd
There were also 14 abstentions on Mr Grieve's motion, according to Sky News’ Aubrey Allegretti, including a number of former Tory rebels.
This is the moment that Mr Grieve's motion passed this evening with 311 Ayes to 302 Noes.
Our political correspondent Ashley Cowburn has the government’s response to Mr Grieve’s motion.
The government has said the motion is “disproportionate and unprecedented” and it will consider how to respond in due course…
For more details on what the implications of the motion are, you can read about it below.
In other news, this image from parliament earlier today perfectly sums up the divide between the government and opposition MPs over John Bercow’s time as Speaker.
Mr Johnson’s government has become increasingly frustrated in recent weeks with Mr Bercow’s efforts to allow MPs the opportunity to pass legislation that could block a no-deal Brexit.
As opposition MPs, including some Tory rebels, gave the Speaker a standing ovation after he announced his resignation, government ministers refused to stand.
This is likely to ruffle some feathers – Olly Robbins, Theresa May’s chief Brexit negotiator, is going to Goldman Sachs, according to Sky News’ Mark Kleinman.
The bank was one of the major companies that suffered during the financial crisis of 2007-08
Extraordinary scenes in parliament just now as former Labour MP Ian Austin has clashed with Labour MP Liz McInnes.
Mr Austin was using the debate to criticise the current Labour leadership’s past comments about the IRA – a point that is tangentially-related to Mr Corbyn’s motion at best.
Despite quitting the party over Mr Corbyn’s leadership, Mr Austin still sits with Labour MPs in the House.
Jo Swinson has accused Boris Johnson of being on a “power trip” with his attempt to force through a no-deal Brexit.
Ms Swinson said: "The prime minister is on a power trip but the truth is he does not have unfettered power.
“There's a sense of arrogance, he acts as if the rules don't apply to him and I do not put anything past our prime minister on what he might engineer."
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