British PM Boris Johnson suffers a setback as MPs back Brexit delay

Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Pic/AP

London (United Kingdom): British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday suffered a setback in Parliament after MPs voted for an amendment to defer a decision on his Brexit deal with the European Union.

The MPs voted through the Letwin amendment to delay Brexit until necessary UK legislation is passed. Johnson, who opened the debate soon after Parliament sat for discussion on his Brexit deal saying his deal with the EU can "heal the country", had to deal with disappointment.

The British Parliament sat for the first time in 37 years on Saturday to take up Johnson's Brexit deal agreed with the EU. There were loud cheers at the People's Vote rally in Parliament Square as the Letwin amendment was passed in the House of Commons.

The latest development implies that Parliament will not vote on Johnson's deal until next week. The division list for the Letwin amendment shows 231 Labour MPs voted for it alongside the 10 Democratic Unionist Party MPs.

They were joined by 19 Liberal Democrats, 35 Scottish National Party members, 17 Independents, four Plaid Cymru, five Independent Group for Change and the Green Party MP Caroline Lucas.

On the other hand, 283 Conservative MPs voted against the Letwin amendment along with six Labour MPs. The Letwin amendment was proposed by Oliver Letwin, an MP who was booted by Johnson out of the Conservative parliamentary party in September after he supported an anti-no-deal legislation known as the Benn Act.

The amendment, supported by the MPs on Saturday, calls for the House to "withhold support" from the UK PM's Brexit deal with the EU until all legislations needed to implement the bill are passed by Parliament as well.

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