UPDATE 1-UK PM Johnson confident deal will be ratified by Oct. 31 – spokeswoman

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LONDON, Oct 17 (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is confident his new Brexit deal can be ratified by the departure date of Oct. 31 and it will go forward for a vote in parliament on Saturday, his spokeswoman said.

The government plans to put the deal to a vote in parliament on Saturday, and would then need to pass legislation to formally ratify the agreement.

Asked whether Johnson was confident the necessary legislation could be approved in time to leave on Oct. 31, the spokeswoman said: “The public would expect if the deal is passed, for MPs to do everything they can to pass it on time and yes we are confident that we can do that.”

The spokeswoman added that the deal will ensure Britain leaves the European Union in an orderly way.

(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; writing by Kate Holton; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)

source: yahoo.com