The British government wants to rush all new laws concerning the exit from the European Union through the House of Commons within a few days. British parliamentarians will for the first time on Tuesday consider the legal consequences of the withdrawal agreement that Boris Johnson reached with Brussels.
Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, who represents the government in the House of Commons, announced the schedule on Monday. According to that plan, the final vote is scheduled for Thursday, but it is unclear whether the House of Commons will manage to accomplish this in such a short time. Afterwards, the House of Lords must also consider the laws.
It is still unclear whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson has enough political support to get the entire package through parliament. His Conservative Party does not have a majority, and his Northern Irish coalition party DUP does not support the package. It is also likely that parliamentarians will submit amendments that are unacceptable to the government.
Not only in the UK Parliament in London, but also in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, more and more voices are calling to put the British exit from the EU to a vote again by British voters. According to critics, many more Britons have now realized that leaving the EU has far greater consequences than they foresaw in the 2016 (first) referendum.
Johnson had originally wanted parliamentarians to approve the agreement with the EU first and only then the accompanying British legislation. This way, he could have avoided a deadline that critical parliamentarians had imposed on him. He failed to do so, forcing him to request an extension from the EU (again) last weekend.
The EU is currently considering that request but will only be able to respond later this week. It is possible that the EU will offer the British a longer extension, possibly of several months. Then the British can calmly get their national Brexit laws in order first.