What does the Letwin amendment mean for Brexit timetable?

What happens now the Letwin amendment has passed?

The former Tory minister Oliver Letwin’s amendment passed 322 to 306. This means Boris Johnson did not get the clean yes or no vote on his Brexit deal that he had hoped for in Saturday’s “super sitting” and must by law request an extension. In short, it pushes the focus of Brexit decision-making into next week.

What was the Letwin amendment again?

The amendment says parliament will withhold approval of the prime minister’s deal until the withdrawal bill implementing Brexit has been passed.

This could be tabled next week with a series of votes kicking off on Tuesday.

The Benn act set a deadline of 11pm on Saturday for Johnson to win parliamentary approval of his Brexit deal, or request a delay. He is now legally obliged to do that but has not given any details on how and is insisting he is not legally compelled to ask for an extension.

Instead, the Conservative party said in a statement: “Parliament has voted to delay Brexit again. The prime minister will not ask for a delay – he will tell EU leaders there should be no more delays and we should get Brexit done on 31 October with our new deal so the country can move on.”

The Letwin amendment was a way of trying to close a loophole, with some of its supporters fearing MPs could support the deal on Saturday, meeting the requirements of the Benn act, but then the legislation implementing Brexit could fall, allowing a no-deal exit on 31 October.

Will the government push for a vote on its deal on Saturday?

The Conservatives believe the Brexit deal motion, as amended by Letwin and his colleagues, is no longer truly meaningful.

The Tories left the Commons and so there was no motion on Johnson’s Brexit deal.

Is article 50 extended?
According to the terms of the Benn act, the government will have to request one – although Downing Street has in the past hinted it hoped to circumvent the legislation in some way. In theory, the EU27 could veto any request for a delay.

However, the legislation makes clear that if the government does pass the EU withdrawal bill before 31 October, then any extension would lapse.

How did MPs vote on the amendment?
The majority of Labour, Liberal Democrat, Scottish National Party, Democratic Unionist party, Independent Group for Change, Plaid Cymru, and Green Party MPs and 17 other independents voted in favour, including ex-Tories Amber Rudd and Antoinette Sandbach.

Eleven of the 21 former Tories, who were kicked out of the party for trying to block no deal, voted against it as well as the Labour MPs Ronnie Campbell, Kevin Barron, Jim Fitzpatrick, Caroline Flint, Kate Hoey and John Mann.

When will the next votes be held?
The next opportunity is Monday, when the leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, said the government would seek to hold another meaningful vote on Johnson’s deal. In a point of order, the MP Chris Bryant said it was not good practice for the government to repetitiously hold debates on the exact same subject.

Monday’s emergency business statement and motion are likely to disrupt the debate and votes already scheduled on the Queen’s speech. The Commons Speaker, John Bercow, said he would have to consider whether to allow the government’s plans.