Boris Johnson's bid to put his Brexit deal to a vote again today has been crushed in damning ruling by the House of Commons Speaker.
The Prime Minister made his second attempt in three days to get a 'clean' vote after the first ended in him being voted down - and forced to ask for a Brexit delay instead.
But John Bercow today scuppered the PM's plans by saying his plan for a new vote went against Commons procedure.
That is because Parliament's rulebook, Erskine May, clearly says MPs can't be given a two votes on the same matter, unless the circumstances have changed.
And Speaker Bercow said since there's been little change since 48 hours ago, "the motion will not be debated today as it would be repetitive and disorderly to do so."
Brexiteers voiced fury at the Speaker - who they believe is biased - as Tory Bernard Jenkin sniped: "It’s remarkable how often you please one lot and not the other lot”. And David T C Davies fumed: “[Your rulings] always seem to favour one side of the argument and never the government."
Yet Speaker Bercow had been expected to make today's ruling because Mr Johnson's behaviour was widely seen as being outside the rules.
Critics suggested Boris Johnson - who shamefully dodged the Commons session altogether - only tried for today's vote in the first place so he could cynically accuse Parliament of thwarting Brexit.
The Speaker shot back: "I try to do what I think is right by the House of Commons - including by, in many cases, minorities whose voices need to be heard."
He said the government had offered no "explanation" of how the circumstances had changed since Saturday. Even if the difference was asking for a delay, "this is not persuasive", the Speaker said. He added: "Today’s motion is in substance the same as Saturday’s motion and the House has decided the matter”.
With just 10 days until the UK is due to leave the EU, it leaves the Government's Brexit policy once again in disarray.
But it doesn't mean the new Brexit deal - approved by 27 EU leaders on Thursday - is dead.
That is because, whatever happened today, Boris Johnson would still have had to put a full-blown Brexit Act of Parliament through the Commons before October 31.
That law - the EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) - will now enter Parliament tonight and begin debates tomorrow as Boris Johnson tries to rush it through.
But it the future of the Brexit deal is now thrown into far greater uncertainty.
This is because Boris Johnson faces a string of amendments which could change his Bill and split support for it.
Amendments could force the deal to include a UK-EU customs union, radically changing it, or force the deal to be put to a second referendum.
The DUP - whose votes could be crucial - has left open the possibility of backing the customs union amendment although Jim Shannon MP appeared to shoot down those hopes this morning.
Shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer said Labour would back amendments for a second referendum, although it is unclear whether the numbers are there in the Commons to get it through.
Downing Street believes it has the numbers to get the WAB through Parliament - which would put the Brexit deal into law and mean we are leaving the EU.
Yet even without amendments Boris Johnson was facing a knife-edge vote on his deal.
The deal was backed by 'Spartan' Tory Brexiteers but rejected by Labour and the DUP for weakening workers' rights guarantees and putting a customs border in the Irish Sea.
It comes after the PM was ambushed by opponents on Saturday who forced him to ask - reluctantly - for a three-month delay to Brexit.
MPs scuppered Boris Johnson's motion, instead refusing to approve the Brexit deal "unless and until" every part of it had passed through Parlaiment.
Their new motion then passed unopposed because Boris Johnson refused to put it to a formal vote.
And in turn that meant Boris Johnson missed a legal 11pm deadline to get a Brexit deal, forcing him to apply for an extension (even though he doesn't want one).
The delay gives MPs time to debate and pass all the Brexit legislation, even if it runs over October 31. Otherwise the UK risked crashing out with no deal in the meantime.
No-deal Brexit could still happen on October 31 if EU leaders refuse to delay - and last night Cabinet minister Michael Gove "triggered" worst-case plan Operation Yellowhammer by moving hundreds of civil servants off their day jobs.
But it is thought the EU is prepared to delay Brexit until February if Mr Johnson is unable to get his deal past MPs this week.
The 27 EU leaders - who would make the decision at a special summit - are waiting to see how the coming days pan out in Parliament before taking action.
