By Elizabeth Piper
LONDON, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Britain's parliament voted to withhold its approval of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal on Saturday, triggering another law that requires him to request a delay to the country's departure from the European Union.
Johnson has been defiant that he will not negotiate a Brexit delay beyond the scheduled Oct. 31 departure date, saying the law does not "compel me to do so", deepening uncertainty over how and even whether Britain will leave the EU.
Following is a rough guide to what could happen next:
SEND A LETTER ON SATURDAY
The law, the so-called Benn Act after one of its authors, requires the prime minister to "seek to obtain" an extension until Jan. 31, 2020, if parliament has not passed a withdrawal deal or approved Britain's departure without an agreement by Oct. 19.
It sets a deadline of 2300 GMT on Saturday for the prime minister to write a letter and dictates the terms of what he should write.
“Dear Mr President,
The UK Parliament has passed the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019. Its provisions now require Her Majesty’s Government to seek an extension of the period provided under Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union, including as applied by Article 106a of the Euratom Treaty, currently due to expire at 11.00pm GMT on 31 October 2019, until 11.00pm GMT on 31 January 2020.
I am writing therefore to inform the European Council that the United Kingdom is seeking a further extension to the period provided under Article 50(3) of the Treaty on European Union, including as applied by Article 106a of the Euratom Treaty. The United Kingdom proposes that this period should end at 11.00pm GMT on 31 January 2020. If the parties are able to ratify before this date, the Government proposes that the period should be terminated early.
Yours sincerely,
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”
WHAT IF HE TRIES SOMETHING ELSE?
After his government lost a vote on a proposal that withheld approval for his agreement until formal ratification legislation has passed, Johnson is required to send the letter.
But he told parliament: "I will not negotiate a delay with the EU and neither does the law compel me to do so."
"I will tell our friends and colleagues in the EU exactly what I have told everyone else in the last 88 days that I have served as prime minister: that further delay would be bad for this country, bad for the European Union and bad for democracy."
His defiance has stirred suspicions in parliament that he may send a second letter asking the EU to ignore the first, or that he may simply not comply with the law, which means the case could head to the courts.