A large majority of MPs have backed Boris Johnson’s Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.
358 MPs voted in favour of the bill on Friday, and 234 against it – giving a majority of 124 in favour of the EU (Withdrawal Agreement) Bill.
32 Labour MPs are understoof to have abstained from voting on the bill.
The bill is largely similar to the one proposed by the Prime Minister before the general election, but also contains some extra parts, such as to ban an extension of the transition period which is currently set to end on 31 December 2020.
The bill was expected to pass given the government’s sizable new majority and indicates that the UK is on course to be leaving the European Union on January 31, 2020, as the government has promised.
MPs in the House of Commons also backed the timetable proposed for further debate on the Brexit bill. After Christmas, MPs will debate and scrutinise the bill further on 7,8 and 9 January 2020. The bill will also be scrutinised in the House of Lords before it can become law.
