In another defeat for Johnson, U.K.'s Parliament votes against a snap election
Britain's Parliament has once again rejected Prime Minister Boris Johnson's call for early elections, giving him his second major defeat in a week.
The vote took place early Tuesday morning, a few hours after a law went into effect blocking Johnson from going through with a no-deal Brexit. Right now, the deadline to leave the European Union is Oct. 31, and under the new law, if Johnson is unable to reach a divorce deal by Oct. 19, he must request an extension.
Johnson will attend a critical EU summit on Oct. 17. After Tuesday's vote, he said the government "will press on with negotiating a deal, while preparing to leave without one," adding that "no matter how many devices this parliament invents to tie my hands, I will strive to get an agreement in the national interest. ... This government will not delay Brexit any further."
Subscribe to 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.
Parliament will now be suspended until Oct. 14. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said his side is "keen" to hold elections, but "we are not prepared to risk inflicting the disaster of no-deal on our communities." Johnson wants early elections because he lost his legislative majority last week, after a Conservative MP defected to another party and he ejected more than a dozen others, as he was angry that they supported the opposition.
The drama didn't start in the wee hours of Tuesday morning — on Monday, House of Commons Speaker John Bercow surprised everyone when he announced he is stepping down by Oct. 31. He's served as speaker for 10 years, and called it the "greatest honor and privilege."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
North Carolina Supreme Court risks undermining its legitimacy
Under the radar A contentious legal battle over whether to seat one of its own members threatens not only the future of the court's ideological balance, but its role in the public sphere
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: January 14, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: January 14, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Jimmy Carter honored in state funeral, laid to rest
Speed Read The state funeral was attended by all living presidents
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sentenced after Supreme Court rejection
Speed Read Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined the three liberal justices in the majority
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
DOJ to release half of Trump special counsel report
Speed Read The portion regarding Trump's retention of classified documents will not be publicly released
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Jimmy Carter lies in state as 3-day DC farewell begins
Speed Read The 39th president died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Giuliani held in contempt of court over forfeit assets
Speed Read He has failed to turn over $11 million in assets to two Georgia election workers he defamed after the 2020 election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden resettles 11 more Guantánamo detainees
Speed Read In an effort to reduce the number of prisoners held in Guantánamo Bay, Biden transferred 11 Yemeni detainees to Oman
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Canada's Trudeau announces resignation
Speed Read Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is stepping down after nearly a decade in office
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Biden signs boost to Social Security for public workers
Speed Read The president signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law, expanding retirement benefits for millions
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published