UK lawmakers set to vote on Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill

British lawmakers are set to hold ir first major vote on Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill Friday. It is all but certain to be approved by country’s new Conservative-dominated Parliament.

vote to approve Withdrawal Agreement Bill in principle will set Britain on course to leave European Union as scheduled on Jan. 31. That was key campaign promise of Johnson, who won a commanding parliamentary majority in last week’s U.K. general election.

Previous attempts to pass a Brexit deal through U.K. Parliament foundered as lawmakers objected to sections of agreement and demanded a bigger say in process. But Johnson’s victory gives him power to get his way.

bill commits Britain to leaving EU on Jan. 31 and to concluding tre talks with bloc by end of 2020. Tre experts and EU officials say striking a free tre deal within 11 months will be a struggle, but Johnson insists he won’t agree to any more delays, and bill has been amended to bar ministers from agreeing to extend transition period with EU.

That has set off alarm bells among businesses, who fear that means country will face a “-deal” Brexit at start of 2021.

Johnson has stripped out parts of bill which gave lawmakers a role in negotiating a future tre deal with EU and required ministers to provide regular updates to Parliament. clauses were ded earlier in year in an attempt to win opposition lawmakers’ support -- backing that Johnson longer needs.

A promise that workers’ rights will t be eroded after Brexit has also been removed, though government says it will enshrine employment rights in separate legislation.

bill is expected to complete its pass through Parliament in January, in time for Britain to leave 28-nation bloc on Jan. 31.

divorce deal also needs to be ratified by European Parliament. European Parliament vice president Pedro Silva Pereira said officials expect that to happen by Jan. 29.

Very little will change immediately after Brexit. Britain will remain an EU member in all but name during 11-month transition period that ends in December 2020.

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