U.K. lawmakers on Saturday voted to postpone a decision on whether to back a Brexit deal with the European Union, complicating the government’s bid to leave the bloc at the end of this month.
The MPs voted 322-306 to withhold their approval until a legislation to implement the agreement is passed.
The vote may now force Prime Minister Boris Johnson to ask the E.U. for a Brexit extension, a move he previously said he would “rather be dead in a ditch” than agree to.
The latest move by the House of Commons is intended to ensure the U.K. cannot crash out of the E.U. without a deal on the scheduled October 31 departure date.
The government still hopes that it can pass the needed legislation by the end of the month to enable the U.K. leave on time.
The latest development comes after former Prime Minister Theresa May said she is backing the deal put together by Boris Johnson.
“People want certainty in their lives… If you want this country to move forward then vote for the deal today,” she said.
Saturday also saw thousands of anti-Brexit protesters march through London to demand for a second referendum.
