Britain just had a dramatic, monumental day in Parliament. What happens with Brexit now?


British Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to play hardball — or the cricket equivalent — with Parliament, and Parliament won Tuesday's at-bat. So what just happened in Britain and what happens next?
What happened Tuesday?
It was high drama in the House of Commons, capped by a 328-301 vote to seize control of the Brexit process from Johnson's government. Johnson also lost his working majority in Parliament then expelled Sir Winston Churchill's grandson and 20 other Tory members of Parliament from the Conservative Party for voting against him — some found out by text message.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What happens next?
Johnson's "defeat leaves the course of Brexit unresolved, with possible outcomes still ranging from a turbulent 'no-deal' exit to abandoning the whole endeavor," Reuters reports. The lower house of Parliament will vote Wednesday on a bill that would force Johnson to request a Brexit extension until January if he doesn't secure a Parliament-approved exit deal with the European Union before Oct. 31. Johnson said he won't request an extension and moved to hold snap elections, possibly on Oct. 15.
The opposition Labour Party said it won't back Johnson's election gambit, which requires a two-thirds majority, unless the bill preventing a no-deal Brexit passes both houses first. If the bill doesn't pass, Johnson will likely face a no-confidence vote. If the bill becomes law and the EU refuses another extension, Britain leaves will no deal.
What's Johnson case?
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Johnson warned Tuesday that "Parliament is on the brink of wrecking any deal we might be able to strike in Brussels" before Oct. 31. But there are significant concerns that Johnson isn't seriously negotiating with the EU — his Brexit negotiation team is a quarter of the size of predecessor Theresa May's team, Sky News reports, and his chief adviser Dominic Cummings reportedly called the Brexit negotiations a "sham," though he denied saying that.
Johnson said the thrice-rejected exit deal May negotiated with the EU is "dead," and there appear to be irreconcilable differences over the Irish border. The EU will reiterate Wednesday that a no-deal divorce would hurt Britain's economy much more than the EU's.
How is Theresa May reacting?
Now a Tory backbencher, May voted with Johnson on Tuesday. She didn't appear crushed at her successor's familiar Brexit pain, though. Peter Weber
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants