UK MPs pass amendment to stop parliament Brexit shutdown

British MPs on Thursday approved an amendment aimed at stopping the suspension of parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit.

The amendment, put forward by Labour MP Hilary Benn, was passed by a significant majority of 41, with 315 MPs in favour and 274 MPs against.

The move is designed to head off threats by leadership favourite Boris Johnson to stop parliament from sitting in order to carry out his plan to leave without a deal if the EU refuses to renegotiate the withdrawal agreement.

The new prime minister will be revealed next week when the Conservative Party leadership contest result is announced. Johnson, the front runner, is up against Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Several Cabinet ministers who oppose a no-deal Brexit, including Finance Minister Philip Hammond, abstained rather than vote against the government. Others were the Justice Secretary, David Gauke, Business Secretary, Greg Clark; and Rory Stewart, the International Development Secretary.

In a second vote, MPs rejected a government attempt to disagree with the amendment by 315 votes to 273, a majority of 42. If passed, it would have meant parliament could be shut down, or prorogued.

Thursday's amendment bolstered earlier amendments to an obscure Northern Ireland Bill designed to disrupt any attempt to prorogue parliament. Opponents of no-deal used the legislation as a trojan horse to make changes that would force the House of Commons to sit.

An amendment by former attorney-general Dominic Grieve passed by a single vote last week requiring a minister to report to the Commons every two weeks until December on the progress of talks on restoring the Northern Ireland assembly.