As the October 31 Brexit deadline swiftly approaches, the Government are preparing for yet another hectic week of negotiations and debate for Britain’s departure from the EU.
With a seemingly never-ending ‘to do list’ in increasingly little time, here is a timeline for what is to be expected for this momentous week ahead in our country’s history.
Monday – Queen’s Speech presented in the House of Lords
The Queen’s Speech has been presented to the house this morning, an occasion she hasn’t been asked to do since June 2017. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn dismissed it as merely a “party political broadcast”, as the Queen respects tradition and acts as the puppet commentator for the Conservative Party agenda.
The priorities of the Government-written speech came as no surprise. It opened with stating that the Government’s priority is “to secure the United Kingdom’s departure from the EU on October 31.”
She promised a “free trade and friendly cooperation” for post-Brexit Britain. She also mentioned that the country should “seize the opportunities that arise from leaving the EU”, a rarely heard piece of optimism on the European question.
Today also sees the arrival of a new Pro-Leave campaign which calls for the PM to “deliver Brexit on time, with or without a deal.”
The group is to call on MPs to put their names to supporting the PM’s ‘do or die’ Brexit stance.
Tuesday – Government introduce First Bills in Parliament
The Government is to introduce the First Bills that had been presented the day before in the Queen’s Speech as PM Johnson sets out his vision for the new parliamentary future.
However with the Tory majority now non-existent after these recent colourful months in Westminster, the chances of these bills passing looks unlikely.
Wednesday – Indication of whether a deal will be made
Wednesday the 16th should be a date that Boris Johnson should have highlighted in his calendar as it is set to be one of the most significant days in Britain’s recent political history.
It is to be Wednesday when it should be clear whether it’s likely the UK is to leave the EU with some sort of deal or not come the 31st. It is also the eve of the EU Summit and so the European question is to be magnified.
Thursday – Start of EU summit in Brussels
EU leaders descend on Brussels for a last-ditch EU summit in an attempt to make concrete developments, no change there then. Let’s hope our PM attends this one as the 31st deadline looms closer.
Friday – Second day of the EU summit
The EU summit reaches its second day as negotiations are set to continue to try and broker a deal at the 11th hour. But after these unprecedented last few years in politics, who’s to say that one of the most significant deals in our country’s history is to be concluded on the last day that a deal must be reached.
Saturday – Super Saturday
MPs are set to sit on the weekend for the first time since the 1982 Falklands War, making it only the fifth time such an event has happened in 80 years.
Ministers are to vote on a new deal or, in the absence of such a commodity, twiddle their thumbs and wonder what to do next.
Saturday is also the last day the PM has to write to the EU and request an extension in accordance with the Benn Act. That is if he wants to adhere to the law that is.
