Oct. 21 (UPI) -- British Parliament was blocked from voting on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Withdrawal Agreement Bill Monday, meaning Britain will almost certainly need another extension before it can leave the European Union.
Speaker of the House John Bercow said he would not allow a yes or no vote on the deal because Parliament already rejected the proposal over the weekend, and can't vote on the same item twice. Doing so, he said, would be "repetitive and disorderly."
Bercow declared it was "a necessary rule to ensure the sensible use of the house's time and proper respect for the decisions that it takes."
A spokesman for Johnson said the prime minister was disappointed in Bercow's decision mainly because it denies a chance for lawmakers to deliver on the will of the people.
Approving the agreement with a vote Monday would've allowed Britain to leave the bloc Oct. 31, on schedule. Johnson has made a request for an extension, as required by law.
A failure by Johnson to get his plan passed could result in a no confidence vote, which former Prime Minister Theresa May received earlier this year after she failed to get multiple proposals through Parliament.
Labor Party member Hilary Benn said he expected a vote Monday "to put this whole deal back to the British people."
EU leaders are pushing for an answer.
"We need a yes or no before Oct. 31," French Secretary of State for European Affairs Amelie de Montchalin said. "The worst of Brexit is not a no-deal, it is extended uncertainty. The fact that today we are unable to say to businesses, fishermen, farmers and family, 'Voila! This is what is going to happen.' This is what creates recession."
