THE United Kingdom (UK) government plans to ask lawmakers to vote on Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill on Friday, Downing Street has said.
The PM’s spokesman said the government planned to start the process in Parliament before Christmas in the “proper constitutional way”.
The Withdrawal Agreement Bill is the legislation that will enable Brexit to happen – the UK is due to leave the EU on January 31.
It comes as the PM prepares to address his new MPs in Westminster.
Many of the 109 new Conservative MPs won in areas traditionally held by Labour in Thursday’s election, which saw the party gain an 80-seat majority.
Johnson is also expected to carry out a mini cabinet reshuffle.
He needs to fill posts made vacant by those who stood down ahead of the general election, including the Culture and Welsh Secretary posts.
The prime minister has also cleared a parliamentary report into alleged Russian interference in UK democracy for publication.
The Queen will formally open Parliament on Thursday when she sets out the government’s legislative programme.
The prime minister’s official spokesman told a Westminster briefing: “We plan to start the process (of the withdrawal agreement bill) before Christmas and will do so in the proper constitutional way in discussion with the Speaker.”
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The Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, who was elected to the role last month, will be in charge of proceedings in the Commons.
Asked if the legislation would be identical to that introduced in the last Parliament, the spokesman said: “You will have to wait for it to be published but it will reflect the agreement that we made with the EU on our withdrawal.”
The bill is expected to pass through Parliament in time to meet Boris Johnson’s promise for the UK to leave the EU on January 31.
Johnson then has to negotiate a new trade agreement with the EU and have it ratified before the end of the post-Brexit transition period that ends on December 31, 2020. He has repeatedly said that the transition period will not be extended.
The Queen’s Speech is also expected to include legislation linked to pledges made during the election campaign – most notably a guarantee on NHS funding.
The prime minister’s spokesman also said Johnson had “carefully considered” the report from the Commons Intelligence and Security Committee into alleged Russian interference in UK democracy.
“He is content publication would not prejudice the functions of those bodies that safeguard our national security,” the spokesman said.
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