World / UK Parliament passes law mandating PM Johnson to seek Brexit delay

London: British MPs on Saturday voted to delay a decision on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal, arguing they needed more time to study its contents before an October 31 deadline.

Lawmakers backed an amendment which effectively forces the government to request an extension until January next year, while they scrutinised the proposed domestic legislation to enforce the deal with Brussels.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would not negotiate a further delay to Britain's departure from the European Union. The British Parliament voted 322 to 306 in favour of an amendment put forward by Oliver Letwin, a former Conservative cabinet minister.

"I will not negotiate a delay with the EU and neither does the law compel me to do so," Johnson told parliament.

"I will tell our friends and colleagues in the EU exactly what I have told everyone else in the last 88 days that I have served as prime minister: that further delay would be bad for this country, bad for the European Union and bad for democracy."

The vote however means the government will not hold a vote on its Brexit deal on Saturday as planned. Johnson said he would put it to a vote on Tuesday.

Letwin's amendment proposed that a decision on whether to back a Brexit deal be deferred until all the legislation needed to implement it has been passed through parliament.