What happens with Brexit today, and how Britain might leave the EU by October 31

For Boris Johnson and anyone who voted to take the UK out of the European Union, Brexit is now within touching distance.

Having negotiated a new deal with the EU and passed it at a European Council meeting at the end of last week, he must now get it through Parliament.

An attempt to get the deal through the House last weekend - in a rare Saturday sitting - was derailed when an amendment was passed withholding MPs' support for the deal until it has been passed in law, in a Withdrawal Agreement Bill.

The Government's new task is to pass the Agreement into law before October 31. Here we sketch out how that could happen.

Monday October 21

The Government formally introduced the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill when it had its first reading in the House of Commons, a technical procedure when MPs are not allowed to vote.

MPs were allowed to table amendments from Monday night.

Tuesday October 22

MPs will debate the Bill at the Second reading. Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister, who had hoped to speak in the meaningful vote yesterday is expected to speak.

The debate will continue for several hours after which MPs will formally vote on the legislation in what will be the first of a series of votes on Mr Johnson's Brexit deal.

MPs will also debate and vote on a Programme Motion which will set out the amount of Parliamentary time given over to scrutinising the draft Treaty.

If the Government gets its way, Number 10 has made clear that it wants the Bill to have passed through the Commons by the end of Thursday.

If the Programme Motion falls, MPs will be free to string out the debate on the Bill for weeks potentially delaying the UK's exit for weeks to a date to be agreed with the EU.

Wednesday October 23

MPs start to consider the legislation on the green benches of the Commons in what is known as a "committee of the whole House" because of its constitutional significance.

During this period MPs will be able to put forward amendments in line by line scrutiny of the Bill.

Hostile amendments could force the Government to agree to keep the UK in a customs union with the EU or even submit the deal to a second referendum.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Commons leader, said last night that it was possible that MPs "could sit through the night for three nights" if it is what MPs want to do.

Thursday October 24

If the Government's Programme Motion has been passed, MPs will vote on the legislation at the Report stage. The European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill passes from the House of Commons to the House of Lords for peers to consider the draft legislation.

Peers are likely to vote today on the Programme Motion setting out how long is required to debate the Bill as well as a Business Motion to adapt its standing orders to allow peers to sit on Saturday, and to reduce the mandatory 10 days between various stages of the Bill to just a few hours.

Friday October 25

The House of Commons will not be sitting.

In the House of Lords, peers will vote on the legislation passed from the Commons and the start to debate it line by line on the floor of the chamber.

Saturday October 26

Peers will continue to debate the Bill. Amendments can be tabled and debated, voted on by peers as it reaches the Bill's Report stage.

Separately MPs could be asked to sit in the Commons to consider and approve any amendments made by the peers.

Monday October 28

Peers finish debating the Bill in the House of Lords. MPs will return to the Commons to debate any amendments which have been tabled and passed in the Lords in a process known as "ping pong".

Tuesday October 29

The ping pong process between the Commons and the Lords can continue.

Wednesday October 30

If the process has been exhausted in the Commons and Lords, the law is given its third reading and sent to Buckingham Palace for the Queen to give the Bill legal force by granting it royal assent.

Thursday October 31

The European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act has now been passed into law allowing the UK to leave the  EU at 11pm tonight UK time, bringing down the curtain on 46 years of Britain's membership of the trading bloc.