MPs must be given “a straight up-and-down vote” on the PM’s Brexit deal later, No 10 says, but it is not clear whether the Speaker will allow it.
John Bercow is due to announce his decision at about 15:30 BST.
The PM tried to bring his deal to the Commons for a vote on Saturday, but his strategy was dealt a blow when MPs backed moves to delay approval instead.
The Speaker has previously ruled out repeatedly bringing back votes on the same matter more than once.
Following Saturday’s special sitting, Boris Johnson was forced to send a letter asking the EU for an extension to the Brexit date – although he did not sign it.
Brexit legislation
Mr Johnson reached a new deal with the EU last week, but it needs to be approved by the UK Parliament.
He wants MPs to say a clear “yes” or “no” on Monday afternoon, but regardless of whether a vote on the deal is held, the government will introduce the legislation to implement Brexit – called the Withdrawal Agreement Bill – later.
Labour’s shadow Brexit Secretary Keir Starmer has said his party will push for changes when the bill is brought to Parliament, for example, demanding a UK-wide customs union with the EU and single market alignment, and ensuring there could not be a no-deal “trapdoor” at the end of the
transition period if no free-trade agreement was reached with the EU.
The DUP has so far refused to support Mr Johnson’s deal – and Labour has attempted to reach out to it – but the Northern Irish party’s chief whip, Jim Shannon, told Sky News a customs union was “something that we cannot support and will not support”.
He said the party was meeting to discuss its strategy, but added: “I believe that that will be the stance we will have later on when we see the wording.”
The prime minister’s deal ditches the backstop – the controversial “insurance policy” designed to prevent a return to physical checks on the Irish border.
Instead it will, in effect, draw a new customs border in the Irish Sea, because goods which could then travel onwards to Ireland will have to pay a duty tax.
The whole of the UK will leave the EU customs union, meaning it could strike trade deals with other countries in the future.
The EU is now considering how to respond to the UK’s request for a delay, but has said Saturday’s developments did not mean that the deal had been rejected.
The UK is due to leave the EU in 10 days time.
So what happens now?
On Saturday, instead of answering the question, “Do you support the deal or not?” MPs effectively chose to change the question, backing the so-called Letwin amendment instead, which delays approval for the deal until the WAB is passed.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak said he “very much hoped” the Speaker would allow the government a second chance to get MPs to give a straightforward “yes” or “no”.
“What the Oliver Letwin amendment did is mean that Parliament hasn’t given its explicit positive support for the deal,” Mr Sunak told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“It was an observation on the deal happening and I think what people need is a substantive vote.”
Former Conservative minister, now independent MP, Justine Greening said the proper process through Parliament had to be followed in order for the WAB – a “huge bill” – to be given sufficient scrutiny.
“We all know that rushed law is bad law, this is the political rewiring of our country and it has to be done properly,” she told the BBC.
But Mr Sunak said: “The substance of the withdrawal agreement has been public for a very long time, the bits that have changed – the backstop and the political declaration – were published last week.
“Parliament has shown time and time again… an ability to move very quickly when it wants to. We can sit late sit, at weekends. And that’s of course what we should do.”
Having been thwarted by MPs on Saturday, Boris Johnson wants to try again today. A move that looks set to be rejected by the Speaker.
That will then pave the way for a gruelling parliamentary battle as Mr Johnson seeks to push his Brexit bill through the Commons by the end of the week.
A timetable that may well be blocked by MPs – making it impossible for Mr Johnson to met his 31 October deadline.
At the same time, the opposition parties are already preparing a flurry of amendments – including one on so called confirmatory referendum.
More likely to garner support will be a move by Labour to keep the UK in a customs union.
The government view such motions as wrecking amendments designed to stop Brexit.
Even so they confidently predict they now have the numbers to get the deal through the Commons.
However in the late nights and long parliamentary hours ahead – the potential for ambushes and carefully crafted amendments abound.
The parliamentary battle over Brexit – if anything – looks set to intensify.
