All eyes in London will now turn to whether Johnson, who has vowed to take Britain out of the EU by the end of the month, has enough support to push through the agreement in parliament.
Britain and the European Union reached a new divorce deal Thursday that could allow Brexit on October 31, but faced immediate opposition among MPs in London -- who could still block it.
The leader of Britain’s main opposition Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn, on Thursday called on lawmakers to reject a draft Brexit deal for the country to leave the European Union.
Corbyn said the accord “won’t bring the country together and should be rejected”, adding: “The best way to get Brexit sorted is to give the people the final say in a public vote.”
“This sell-out deal won’t bring the country together and should be rejected,” the veteran socialist said
Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party is holding out in opposition to the Brexit deal struck Thursday between London and Brussels -- a stance which has the potential to sink the agreement.
The DUP, which supports Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative government, holds major sway in whether a divorce agreement can get through parliament.
In the desperate scramble for votes, DUP backing would have smoothed the path for hardline Conservatives to get behind Thursday’s Brexit package.
Northern Ireland has proved the sticking point in the Brexit negotiations, so satisfying the DUP, the province’s biggest party, has proved a key test on the road to an acceptable deal.
The DUP is a hardline group whose tough negotiating tactics were forged in the sectarian conflict over British rule in Northern Ireland that left thousands dead over three decades.
The party is known for its fiery rhetoric and steely determination in holding out, rather than its willingness to compromise.
“No” has been its classic watchword.
Hours before London and Brussels announced they had found an agreement, the DUP said it could not support what was on the table -- notably on customs and consent issues, as well as sales tax arrangements.
The party said it wants a deal that “protects the economic and constitutional integrity” of the United Kingdom.
Following the news from Brussels, a DUP source told AFP that the earlier statement “remains our position”.
Sterling sank into losses in chaotic trade on Thursday on fears that Britain’s Brexit deal might not win parliamentary approval, having earlier spiked close to $1.30 on news of the agreement.
At about 1225 GMT, the pound was down 0.28 percent against the dollar at $1.2795. The euro meanwhile rose 0.65 percent to 86.85 pence.
“After the initial relief that the UK government and EU have done a deal, markets are worried that it still does not have enough support to get through parliament on Saturday,” independent economist Julian Jessop told AFP.
