Brexit and 'no-deal': What just happened in the UK Parliament?

Source: www.bbc.com/news 3rd Sept 2019

It's been a very big day in British politics.

The government has suffered a major defeat, with potentially significant consequences for Brexit -
specifically when it happens and how it happens.

An early general election is now also on the cards.

Here's your guide to the bruising face-off between parliament and Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

This is all about who's driving Brexit ahead of the 31 October deadline for the UK to leave the EU.

Mr Johnson has been determined to leave by that date with or without a deal.

On Tuesday, politicians opposed to "no-deal" grabbed the steering wheel to block this outcome. They
voted to seize control of the parliamentary agenda on Wednesday.

They plan to pass a law to force Mr Johnson to delay Brexit until 31 January unless MPs approve a new
deal.

However Mr Johnson won't ask the EU for more time. He said the government would instead seek an
early election.

But it's unclear if two-thirds of MPs will agree, as required.

How did we get here?

The British public voted to leave the EU well over three years ago.

In order to do that, the last prime minister, Theresa May, negotiated a deal with the EU covering the
terms on which the "divorce" would happen. Break-up day was meant to be 29 March 2019.

Then, as now, parliament disagreed with the government. Mrs May couldn't get her deal through and was
forced to ask for Brexit to be delayed. Eventually she stepped down.

Boris Johnson was voted in as the new leader by members of the Conservative Party and became prime
minister in late July.

He vowed to take Britain out of the EU by the new deadline of 31 October, "no ifs or buts".

But like her, he now finds himself defeated in Parliament, including by some of his fellow Conservative
politicians.