LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says it’s Parliament’s fault, not his, that Britain will not be leaving the European Union as scheduled on Oct. 31.
The EU has agreed to postpone Brexit until Jan. 31, after Johnson failed to get British lawmakers to ratify his divorce deal with the bloc in time to leave this week.
Johnson grudgingly asked for the delay on the orders of Parliament. He has said for months that the U.K. will leave the EU on Oct. 31 “come what may” – with a Brexit deal or without one.
His spokesman, James Slack, says Johnson secured “a great new deal, he set out a timetable that would have allowed the U.K. to leave on Oct, 31 with that deal – and Parliament blocked it.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has welcomed the European Union’s decision to extend the Brexit deadline until the end of January.
Khan tweeted Monday that the decision was “good news” and takes the “immediate risk of a catastrophic no-deal” Brexit off the table.
The mayor said the extension should be used for a public vote on Brexit.
He says, “It’s time to give the British public the final say on Brexit.”
Britain’s Parliament will consider the prospect of calling a national election at its Monday session. Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants an election on Dec. 12 but may not have enough backing to get his way.
The government is strongly opposed to holding a second referendum on Brexit.
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