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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Politics
Jacob Jarvis

Brexit one step closer after Boris Johnson's deal is overwhelmingly backed by MPs

Boris Johnson has used his new Commons majority to ram his Brexit deal through the Commons in a landmark day.

There were 358 MPs in favour of the Bill while 234 voted against it.

MPs also approved the programme motion, which sets out the timetable for the progression of the bill, by 353 votes to 243.

The Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB), which implements the PM's Brexit deal, allows the UK to leave on January 31, and deliver an implementation period until December 31, 2020.

It received its first reading in the Commons on Thursday afternoon and was debated at a second reading today.

The vote came a week after Mr Johnson won a landslide majority at the polls, which he had insisted would allow him to "get Brexit done". ​

Boris Johnson in the Commons today (PRU/AFP via Getty Images)

This afternoon he tweeted: “The second reading of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill has passed – which means we are one step closer to getting Brexit done.”

Earlier today, speaking in the Commons, the PM said: "This is the time when we move on and discard the old labels of Leave and Remain. The very words seem tired to me as I speak, as defunct as Montagues and Capulets at the end of the play.”

The jubilant PM was seen signing copies of the Withdrawal Agreement Bill as he awaited the results.

After the result, European Council President Charles Michel tweeted: “The vote in @HouseofCommons is an important step in the #Article50 ratification process @BorisJohnson.

“A level playing field remains a must for any future relationship.”

European Parliament vice-president Pedro Silva Pereira said he expected the deal to be ratified by the EU by January 29.

This would clear the way for Brexit Day to be January 31, as it is planned.

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As the opposition argued against the deal, with Labour MPs whipped to vote it down, shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said the argument over Leave and Remain was over - though he added that does not mean the PM's deal was a good one.

Sir Keir, winding up the debate, said: “As a result of the general election and the result of the majority the Government has got and the mandate the Government’s got we’re leaving the EU.

“We will have left the EU within the next six months.

“Whatever side we were on, or no side at all, the Leave/Remain argument goes with it.”

He added: “That doesn’t mean that the deal negotiated by the Prime Minister is a good deal – it isn’t.”

Despite that, six Labour MPs rebelled to back it.

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