LONDON -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faces a frenzied week of activity in Parliament and the courts as he tries to woo rebellious lawmakers in time to meet the Oct. 31 deadline for Brexit.
Johnson has vowed to avoid needing yet another extension to that deadline, even though he has formally asked for a delay that is being considered by European Union leaders.
EU officials haven't yet responded to his request for more time. They are torn between a wish to put the Brexit issue to bed and a desire to avoid the economic ramifications of Britain leaving without a divorce deal in place.
Johnson's allies made the case that he likely has the votes needed to gain passage for his new Brexit plan and won't need any delay.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab expressed optimism on Sunday, saying on BBC TV's Andrew Marr show that "we appear to have the numbers to get this through."
Raab added that the Conservative government would keep talking with its Northern Ireland ally, the Democratic Unionist Party, to persuade it to back the deal.
So far, the party, which holds 10 seats in Parliament, has refused to support Johnson's agreement because it treats Northern Ireland differently than other parts of the U.K.
"We'll keep talking to the [Democratic Unionist Party] and see if there's any further reassurances that can be provided," Raab said.
The party has remained steadfast in its opposition to the plan, which replaces an earlier divorce deal negotiated by former Prime Minister Theresa May's government but rejected three times by Parliament.
In the midst of all this, EU leaders and officials across the English Channel were pondering whether to grant the British leader a Brexit extension that he doesn't even want.
As required by law, Johnson sent a letter to the EU late Saturday night seeking a delay to Britain's impending Oct. 31 departure. He waited until the last possible moment, withheld his signature and immediately followed it with a signed letter indicating that he doesn't actually favor another Brexit extension.
"My view, and the government's position, (is) that a further extension would damage the interests of the U.K. and our EU partners, and the relationship between us," Johnson wrote to European Council President Donald Tusk.
Johnson's decision to send a second letter saying he doesn't really want an extension is triggering court challenges from opponents who believe he intentionally set out to block Parliament's intent even if he technically complied with legal requirements.
The Court of Session in Scotland is already considering the matter, and it may end up being decided in the U.K. Supreme Court, which in September ruled that Johnson had acted unlawfully when he suspended Parliament for five weeks as the Brexit deadline crept closer.
Scottish National Party legislator Joanna Cherry, part of a group that brought the earlier successful case against Johnson, said the legal battle over Brexit continues.
"We're back in court on Monday morning, and it will be possible then to secure the court's assistance if the prime minister has flouted the law and the promises he gave to the court," she said.
The court action is aimed at keeping Johnson from taking Britain out of the EU without a deal.
Johnson has long declared that he plans to withdraw the U.K. from the EU on Oct. 31, with or without a divorce deal. His minister in charge of Brexit, Michael Gove, again emphasized that stance.
"We are going to leave by Oct. 31," Gove insisted Sunday. "We have the means and the ability to do so."
"If we don't back this deal, then the risk is that the European Council may not grant an extension," Gove, who is in charge of no-deal Brexit preparations, said on Sky TV's Sophy Ridge on Sunday. "We can't bet on that. It's not a sure thing."
Gove also said he was holding a special meeting to discuss Operation Yellowhammer, the government's "no-deal" planning apparatus, to make sure Britain is ready for an Oct. 31 departure. The government's analysts have warned that an abrupt break with the EU could lead to recession, delays at British ports, and shortages in food and prescription medicine.
"We have now entered the final, most intensive stage" of preparations, a government official said. "With less than two weeks until 31 October, hundreds of civil servants will from today move to work on these operational matters."
The EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said Tusk would consult with other leaders "in the next days" about Johnson's request, but most signs indicate the EU would prefer an extension to an abrupt no-deal Brexit.
Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency, said Sunday that "it makes sense to allow extra time."
But French President Emmanuel Macron noted that the deal had been negotiated and said that further delay in Britain's departure was "in no one's interest."
While Johnson's Conservatives are focused on getting more votes, the opposition Labor Party was calling for a second referendum on the question of leaving the EU.
Labor's Brexit spokesman, Keir Starmer, said it is "inevitable" that lawmakers opposed to Brexit will put forward an amendment seeking a second referendum -- something strongly opposed by Johnson and his government.
"Whether it's this deal or any future deal, it's got to go back so the public can say, 'Do you want to leave on these terms?'" Starmer said. "If so, then we do. If not, we remain."
Information for this article was contributed by Gregory Katz, Mike Corder, Samuel Petrequin and Jari Tanner of The Associated Press; and by Andrew Atkinson of Bloomberg News.
A Section on 10/21/2019