British lawmakers Wednesday denied Prime Minister Boris Johnson's call for a general election on October 15. They also approved a bill that could prevent Johnson from withdrawing the country from the European Union (EU) next month. Britain’s House of Commons voted 329 to 300 to support the bill Wednesday. It now goes to parliament’s upper house, the House of Lords, for consideration. Both votes were a major defeat for the prime minister. Johnson says his country must leave the EU on October 31, with or without an agreement between the two sides. His promise to withdraw from the 28-member organization has Britain’s parliament in an uproar. Many fear leaving the EU without a deal in place could create severe economic problems. The dispute is the worst political turmoil since Britain voted in 2016 to leave the European Union.
