Brexit news – what’s happening before the October 31 deadline?
MEASURES to help the UK economy after Brexit have been set out in the Queen's Speech.
Plans to end the free movement of EU citizens into the UK and a Fisheries bill were unveiled. Here are the key dates in the run up to October 31.
What's happening ahead of Brexit deadline?
Thursday, October 17 - Crucial two-day summit of EU leaders begins in Brussels. This is the last such meeting currently scheduled before the Brexit deadline.
Saturday, October 19 - Special sitting of Parliament and the date by which the PM must ask the EU for another delay to Brexit under the Benn Act, if no Brexit deal has been approved by Parliament and they have not agreed to the UK leaving with no-deal.
Thursday, October 31 - Date by which the UK is due to leave the EU, with or without a withdrawal agreement.
What is the Government doing to prepare for a No Deal?
After the Queen laid out 22 bills yesterday, Downing Street said Brexit negotiations remain ongoing as reports suggested Boris Johnson is closing in on a new deal after giving significant ground to the EU over the Irish border.
The PM is in a race against time to get a fresh agreement negotiated in time for the Brussels summit of European leaders starting on Thursday.
The two-day EU summit is crucial because Johnson must get a new deal approved by MPs by this weekend if he is to avoid a clash over asking for a Brexit delay.
A showdown is anticipated in an emergency sitting of Parliament on Saturday, the first in 37 years.
Boris Johnson has insisted he won't ask the EU to delay Brexit again - even if he is required to do so by law.
The Benn bill has been presented by Labour MP Hilary Benn, and has been signed by opposition leaders and recently-sacked Conservatives, including Alistair Burt and Philip Hammond.
It requires the Government to either reach a deal - or gain Parliament's approval for a no-deal Brexit by October 19.
Johnson announced an extra £2.1billion of funding to prepare for a No Deal, which is doubling the amount of money set aside this year.
Ministers had previously announced plans for troops on the street and emergency ferries to cope with this scenario.
They had already unveiled the post-Brexit immigration system, which will end preferential treatment for EU migrants.
Mr Johnson has tasked Michael Gove with preparing for a No Deal Brexit.
He also assured the 3.2million EU nationals living in Britain that "under this government you will get the absolute certainty of the rights to live and remain."
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Why is the UK's withdrawal from the EU plunged in chaos?
Britain had been due to leave the European Union on March 29, 2019.
However, after UK MPs rejected the withdrawal deal Mrs May had agreed with Brussels - EU leaders eventually agreed to a six-month extension to the exit process until October 31, 2019.
The UK can leave the EU before this date if a withdrawal agreement is ratified between Britain and Brussels before then.
After failing to pass her hated Withdrawal Agreement, Theresa May resigned as Prime Minister on June 7 2019.
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