Ten Minutes Ago On News

[NellieMay]

The government will abandon its Brexit bill if MPs vote down its three-day timetable to get it through Parliament.

A No 10 source said if the programme was rejected and the EU confirmed a delay to the 31 October exit, it would instead push for a general election.

The source told the BBC: "We won't waste further months with this Parliament."

[Ken4155]

This tweeted by writer and EU advisor, Julian Popov; "The year is 2192. The British Prime Minister visits Brussels to ask for an extension to the Brexit deadline. No-one remembers where this tradition originated, but every year it attracts many tourists from all over the world".

[jim360]

Also, in answer to OG, when you say, "[the]Implementation period should be as short as possible...", that period is when the UK will finally start to negotiate a new trading relationship with the EU. Past experience should tell you that 14 months is impossibly short to succeed in negotiating anything of that scope, whether or not intentions on both sides are good. Trade Deals always take longer. Therefore there will have to be an extension if the government wishes to reach a deal; and, if there is no extension, then it turns out that "No Deal" occurs instead at the end of 2020. Parliament is entitled to at least try to debate if it wants the question of an extension to be at the discretion of government.

[mushroom25]

the opposition want no deal off the table, which it clearly isn't - yet. Under the FTPA Boris needs a two thirds majority to get his election. he won't get it. so either we're stuck in limbo-land until his 5 years is up, or he resigns and hands power to Mr Corbyn.

[Old_Geezer]

The EU deliberately opted not to talk trade from the outset, so presumably they are happy that, that occurs after Brexit. In which case it isn't an extension, just one of many trade deals to negotiate. And given the closeness of recent trade it ought not take as long as one starting from scratch would. It's embarrassing for both sides it hasn't already been agreed over the last few years.

[davebro]

"or he resigns and hands power to Mr Corbyn"

LOL -Now we are entering fantasy land!

[mushroom25]

//Now we are entering fantasy land! //

are we? if BJ resigns, whoever replaces him in the alleged governing tory party is unlikely to be any better off at commanding a majority in the house. so BJ goes but the current government of no authority limps on until the FTPA 5 years expires, or the opposition votes them down (at this time, unlikely). the alternative is the much-talked-of "government of national unity", and the only credible leader of that would be the leader of the opposition.

[ToraToraTora]

ken, hilarious, it could well become a tradition, like inexplicably moving the parliament from Brussels to Strasbourg once a month!

[davebro]

"inexplicably moving the parliament from Brussels to Strasbourg once a month!"

One of the reasons I voted Leave! Who could support such idiocy?

[hereIam]

My God, I am so sick and tired of all this !!

[cassa333]

Not that I know the technicalities of the but surely if MPs amend things doesn’t it then have to go back to the EU for them to decide if they agree with The Amendments?

Otherwise we could just rewrite the agreement???

[jim360]

It would depend on the nature of the amendments. Amendments that are merely about the legal aspects of integrating the WA into UK law are no business of the EU's. That would be most amendments. There aren't many, I think, that would be anything other than technical in that respect.

[THECORBYLOON]

Donald Tusk has recommended the extension request be accepted.

https://mobile.twitter.com/bbclaurak/status/1186739760724926465?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

[ichkeria]

The fear surely on the part of Johnson and the government is not failing to meet the deadline: he must have accepted at least tacitly that that has gone: it’s the fear that given ample time to debate and scrutinise, the promises he made to each wing of his party and the 19 Labour rebels will be seem for what they are: duplicitous.
And there’s a fear the bill will be amended or talked out.
In other words the government is scared: although there was a majority of 30 at second reading, someone may have reminded him that the Bill to join the EEC in 1973 was approved by 122 votes initially, and in the end scraped home by 8.