U.K. parliament approves Brexit deal tweaks

Prime Minister Boris Johnson won a Monday night vote in the House of Commons that could spur controversial changes to the nation’s Brexit plan. The Internal Market Bill passed 340-263, although 30 members of Johnson’s Conservative Party abstained while two others voted against the bill. The proposal will give the government the final say in trade matters between Northern Ireland and the British mainland. Opponents argue it violates the divorce deal that Britain ratified, which allowed the European Union to oversee parts of Northern Ireland’s trade policy since it borders EU member Ireland.

What comes next? Lawmakers in the House of Commons will further scrutinize the bill before a final vote. If it passes that stage, the bill will head to the House of Lords, or upper house of Parliament. The U.K. and EU continue to haggle over a post-Brexit trade policy ahead of a Dec. 31 deadline.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read my analysis in World Tour about why Northern Ireland has been such a sticking point for Brexit.