By Sheila Mckenzie-
Boris Johnson will send a letter to the EU asking for a Brexit delay if no deal is agreed by 19 October, government papers submitted to a Scottish court say.
A document revealed by The BBC, reveals the pressure coming from campaigners to force the PM to comply with the law. Boris Johnson and his team plan to take the Uk out of the EU by August 31 and are pushing hard for a deal before October 19, but may push for an agreement for a no deal.
Johnson’s government wants outs immediately, but are up against a much opposition surrounding the terms of departure. The prime minister will keep trying to agree a deal, but is very ready to execute a no deal Brexit.
The BENN ACT
The so-called Benn Act – named after Labour MP Hilary Benn who spearheaded its passage into law – requires the government to request an extension to the 31 October Brexit deadline if a deal has not been signed off by Parliament by 19 October.
A senior Downing Street source said: “The government will comply with the Benn Act, which only imposes a very specific narrow duty concerning Parliament’s letter requesting a delay – drafted by an unknown subset of MPs and pro-EU campaigners – and which can be interpreted in different ways.
“But the government is not prevented by the Act from doing other things that cause no delay, including other communications, private and public.
“People will have to wait to see how this is reconciled. The government is making its true position on delay known privately in Europe and this will become public soon.”