It’sFrances Perraudinhere, taking over fromKate Lyonsfor the rest of the morning. My colleagueBen Quinnwill take the reins this afternoon.
Shadow home secretaryDiane Abbotthas been speaking to BBC breakfast. She started by saying that the house of commons had been united in their horror at the Essex lorry deaths. “We need to have safer and legal routes for refugees,” she said.
Abbott said Johnson’s was a “bogus call for an election”. She said Labor needed a commitment that a no-dealBrexitwas off the table, and to know what sort of extension the EU was offering, before they would back an election.
She stressed that Labor wanted an election. “We don’t wantBoris Johnsonin power a minute longer than necessary, ”Said Abbott.
Asked what the prime minister could do to reassure her that there wouldn’t be a no-deal Brexit, she said, “it would help if he actually said it, that [they] are committing to taking a no-deal Brexit off the table ”, though she added that was a problem because“ he doesn’t always tell the truth ”.
Abbott described 12 December – Johnson’s proposed date for an election – as a ridiculous date, and said “there is a reason why we’ve not had a Christmas election for over a century ”.
Adam Jackson, director of public affairs and Brexit advisory services at Grant Thornton UK on the challenges for the business community presented by (Brexit) uncertainty.
What do the polls say?
Here areBoris Johnsonand Jeremy Corbyn explaining how they’d feel about an early election.
Another thing on the agenda today is that the EU will meet to discuss what length of Brexit extension to offer during a closed-door meeting in Brussels this morning. This comes after Boris Johnson was compelled to send a letter requesting a delay, which he did,very begrudgingly.
Good morning everyone and welcome to Politics Live as we ponder whether or not the country will be thrown into election campaign mode.
Boris Johnson is set to plead with MPs to grant him a pre-Christmas election. The prime minister wrote to Jeremy Corbyn last night to say he would give parliament one last chance to look at hiswithdrawal agreement billand “get Brexit done” by 6 November. He would also table a motion on Monday asking for an early general election, which would require the backing of two-thirds of MPs to succeed.
Johnson’s letter said: “An election on 12 December will allow a new parliament and government to be in place by Christmas. If I win a majority in this election, we will then ratify the great new deal that I have negotiated, getBrexitdone in January, and the country will move on. ”
Labor appeared poised to reject the government request butJeremy Corbyntold the BBC on Thursday night that no final decision would be made until the EU 27 had agreed a Brexit delay. “We’ll know tomorrow what the extension will be and I can answer that question tomorrow. What I’m saying now is: take no deal off the table. ”
After reaching a fresh deal with the EU 27, the prime minister had hoped to fast-track it through parliament in time to leave by Halloween. But while MPs supported the principle of the bill on Tuesday, they rejected Johnson’s timetable.
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Off we trot.
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