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Political Turmoil Roils Britain as Boris Johnson Pushes for New Election After Brexit Defeat

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Britain's Parliament faced a second straight day of political turmoil today as lawmakers fought Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan to deliver Brexit in less than two months, no matter what. 
  
The House of Commons is confronting Johnson over his insistence that the UK leave the EU on October 31 even without a withdrawal agreement. 

Opposition lawmakers are trying to fast-track a law that would block a no-deal departure.

Johnson condemned it as a "surrender bill" and said if the bill passed this week, he would call a general election on October 15, taking his message directly to the people in his bid to deliver Brexit. 

"Mr. Speaker as the honorable lady knows very well this government will take this country out of the European Union on October the 31st. There is only one thing that stands in our way - it is the 'surrender bill' currently being proposed by the leader of the opposition," Johnson said.

But it's unclear whether Johnson has the votes to trigger an election, which needs the approval of two-thirds of the 650 House of Commons lawmakers. 

In fact, many things are unclear.

Prof. Catherine Barnard of European Union Law at Cambridge said, "We're in highly unchartered waters. Nobody knows what's going to happen next. The bill has got to pass through the House of Commons, which of course is already not certain and then it's got to pass through the House of Lords."

And this is also not assured.

Meanwhile, word today from the Bank of England that the potential impact to the British economy of a no-deal Brexit is now "less severe" because of preparations that have been made since last year.

Bank Governor Mark Carney said he believed a no-deal Brexit would see the economy shrink by 5.5 percent rather than the 8 percent previously predicted.

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About The Author

Dale
Hurd

Since joining CBN News, Dale has reported extensively from Western Europe, as well as China, Russia, and Central and South America. Dale also covered China's opening to capitalism in the early 1990s, as well as the Yugoslav Civil War. CBN News awarded him its Command Performance Award for his reporting from Moscow and Sarajevo. Since 9/11, Dale has reported extensively on various aspects of the global war on terror in the United States and Europe. Follow Dale on Twitter @dalehurd and "like" him at Facebook.com/DaleHurdNews.