Boris Johnson's premiership might be in trouble following another defeat in the House of Commons

Boris Johnson.
(Image credit: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images)

Things are not looking good for U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and The New York Times reports that the drama in Westminster could ultimately "destroy" his brand new premiership.

The House of Commons voted 327-299 on Wednesday in favor of a bill that would block Johnson's plan to withdraw from the European Union on Oct. 31 even if no agreement is reached. The bill now heads to the House of Lords, which must give its assent.

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Following the Tuesday vote, Johnson expelled 21 Conservative lawmakers who voted against him, fracturing an already tenuous party that saw another member literally cross over to the Liberal Democrats right in front of Johnson.

Johnson has called for an early election in October, a solution which he described "as the only way forward for the country." But the opposition, including the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats, and the Scottish National Party, is refusing to back the call until the legislation preventing a no-deal Brexit becomes law. Read more at The New York Times and BBC.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.