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LONDON (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s battle
to win support for his new Brexit divorce deal raises the
possibility that the United Kingdom could hold a fresh vote on
membership of the European Union.

Lawmakers in the main opposition Labour Party are considering
attaching an amendment to Johnson’s deal which would give Members
of Parliament (MPs) another chance to try to force the government
to hold another referendum.

The idea of a second referendum has been gathering support among
some British politicians as a way to end the political stalemate.
But the government has repeatedly ruled out another popular vote
saying that to ignore the first one could trigger a constitutional
crisis.

If a second referendum were called, it would be one of the most
unlikely reversals in modern British political history.

SO HOW COULD ANOTHER REFERENDUM
HAPPEN?

To get another referendum, parliament would have to approve new
legislation and settle on a question for the public to
answer.

There are probably three main options: Do you want to leave with
a deal, stay in the EU, or leave without a deal?

For pro-Europeans, a new referendum would be a chance to end
three years of turmoil. They say the complex issue of EU membership
is best solved with a specific question to the public rather than a
general election.

The challenge for pro-referendum supporters is finding enough
support in parliament.

In April, when the government held a series of votes on the
various Brexit options, a second referendum was the most popular
option but fell short of a majority, losing 292 to 280.

Even if the amendment passed it would not be a binding
commitment to hold a referendum. But if a majority of lawmakers
backed it, it would be hard to ignore and a big step forward for
the long-running campaign for a second vote.

A referendum would require spending public money to make it
happen – something only the government can approve.

IS THERE ENOUGH SUPPORT FOR A NEW
REFERENDUM?

Since parliament last held a vote on whether to support a
referendum, a handful of Conservative and Labour lawmakers have
indicated they would support a new public vote.

Campaigners say that to win a majority their best chance of
finding people likely to switch to back a new vote is to look among
the 66 lawmakers who abstained on the vote last time.

They comprise 16 opposition Labour lawmakers, some of the 21
Conservative MPs kicked out of the party last month for blocking a
no-deal Brexit, and former cabinet members who are seen as
pro-European.

Since July 2017 there have been 226 polls asking people whether
they support Leave or Remain, according to a poll of polls by
YouGov published last week. Of those, 204 have put support for
remaining in the EU ahead, seven have given a lead to leave and a
few have been tied.

However, other evidence suggests most voters have not changed
their mind. The largest Brexit poll since 2016 carried out by
Comres found that 50% of the public want to respect the referendum
result, 42% want Britain to remain in the EU and 8%said they don’t
know.

WHAT HAS BORIS JOHNSON SAID ABOUT ANOTHER
REFERENDUM?

Johnson, who led the campaign to leave the EU in 2016, has
repeatedly ruled out either revocation or another referendum.

“Can you imagine? Another 3 years of this?,” he said earlier
this month.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who voted against EU membership
back in 1975 and was criticized for only giving half-hearted
backing to the 2016 campaign to remain in the EU, has signaled only
lukewarm backing for another referendum.

Corbyn has said any Brexit deal should be put to a public vote.
He has said he wants to renegotiate a Brexit deal and then put his
agreement to a second referendum, without saying which side it will
back. His party, though, is clear it wants one.

HOW LONG WOULD A SECOND REFERENDUM TAKE TO
ORGANIZE?

Passing the legislation would require a majority in the House of
Commons and the upper House of Lords to vote in favor of holding a
public vote.

Britain’s electoral regulator would then ideally need six months
to test the question with the public and then grant a period for
the campaign to take place, a spokesman said.

Editing by Stephen Addison

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NAF Air PersonnelNAF Air Personnel

VIDEO: NAF Deploys Ground Attack Aircraft Against Boko
Haram Rendezvous

Video: https://youtu.be/7BXJiIKMjMY

The Air Task Force (ATF) of Operation LAFIYA DOLE has
obliterated a Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) meeting venue and
neutralized several of their fighters at Ngoske on the fringes of
the Sambisa Forest in Borno State.

The attack was executed today, 18 October 2019, following
successive days of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance
(ISR) missions, which were aimed at identifying locations housing
the BHTs’ leadership as well as their rendezvous positions.

Intelligence derived from the ISR missions led to the
designation of 2 buildings within Ngoske that served as assembly
areas for the terrorists from where they launch attacks against own
troops positions and innocent civilians.

Accordingly, the ATF detailed its ground attack aircraft to
engage the hideout, scoring devastatingly accurate hits which led
to the complete destruction of the 2 buildings as well as the
neutralization of several terrorists.

The NAF, operating in concert with surface forces, will sustain
its efforts to completely destroy all remnants of the terrorists in
the Northeast.

IBIKUNLE DARAMOLA
Air Commodore
Director of Public Relations and Information
Nigerian Air Force

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