The British prime minister has asked the European Union for another delay to the country's planned departure from the bloc after the UK parliament postponed a vote on his Brexit deal with the EU.
Boris Johnson made the request on Saturday in a letter sent without his signature to European Council President Donald Tusk. But a second letter that accompanied the request had Johnson's signature. It expresses his confidence that the UK will leave the EU by the current deadline of October 31, saying that "a further extension would damage the interests" of the UK and its EU partners.
Critics have blasted Johnson's move. Tusk tweeted that he "will now start consulting EU leaders on how to react" to the extension request. The request came after the UK parliament passed an amendment motion earlier on Saturday to withhold a vote on the new Brexit deal until legislation to implement it is in place. The motion was submitted by cross-party MPs. Johnson was obliged to file the request by law if he failed to gain parliamentary approval for the new Brexit deal by Saturday.
The prime minister now seems ready to expedite a process to enact necessary legislation to have the UK leave the EU by October 31. He will likely try again to put his Brexit deal to a parliamentary vote on Monday.
NHK
