The latest proposed Brexit deal is deeply unpopular in Northern Ireland, where it will require a new customs border between the island and the rest of Great Britain. That could mean tariffs.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson sought an early general election in the hope of gaining ground in Parliament in support of the question that has roiled British politics since 2016: leaving the EU.
Days before the Oct. 31 deadline to leave the EU, the bloc signed off on a British request to postpone it again. With the deadline reset to Jan. 31, the U.K. appears little closer to a clean exit.
In compliance with the Letwin Amendment, approved 322 to 306 on Saturday, a reluctant Prime Minister Boris Johnson sent a letter to the EU requesting an extension to the Oct. 31 no-deal deadline.
The prime minister said that he'd forged a new agreement that would allow the European Union to keep collecting value-added tax from Northern Ireland and allow special treatment for some Irish goods.
After the Supreme Court ruled against the prime minister, Johnson dared critics to call a no-confidence vote. The opposition countered with an election offer, so long as a Brexit delay is guaranteed.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing new calls to resign. The Supreme Court ruled Parliament is not in fact suspended — because Johnson's advice to the queen was unlawful.