This is William Hague.
I'm David Miliband.
This is Brexit In 60 Seconds.
The Benn Act is named after Hilary Benn,
a backbench Labour Member of Parliament,
who rallied a parliamentary majority
to defeat the government
and insists that if the government
has not negotiated a deal with the 
European Union on the three issues:
of Northern Ireland,
of citizens’ rights, and of financial contributions
by the 19th of October, then the prime minister
is required to write to the European Union
requiring or requesting an extension
of the Brexit negotiating process
from the 31st of October for three months.
So, it ensures, this apparently watertight
piece of legislation,
that the government cannot lead the UK
to crash out of the European
Union with no deal at all.
What is the Benn Act
and how does it prevent a no-deal Brexit?
It is a law specially passed to force
Boris Johnson to do what he doesn't want to do,
to write a letter on October 19th
if he hasn't made a deal with the EU,
asking for a delay to Brexit.
And it is very specific.
It's the actual letter, written out word for word,
with every full stop.
He can't even put:
“Why don't you all get lost” in the middle of it.
Because that would be unlawful.
