Opposition party support for a snap general election hangs in the balance this morning as the European Union debates when or if to offer another Brexit extension.
Boris Johnson wants anelectionon 12 December, offering parliamentary time until 6 November to allow MPs to scrutinise his Brexit deal.
He will bring a motion to the House of Commons on Monday, but opposition parties have yet to commit their support, despite their own frequent calls for an election for more than two years.
Both the Liberal Democrats and Labor say they want to know what the EU will offer the UK as another Brexit extension before they back Britons going to the polls.
Jeremy Corbyn said: “Take no-deal off the table and we absolutely support a general election.
“But no-deal must be taken off the table.”
On Thursday, he added: “Tomorrow, the European Union will decide whether there is going to be an extension granted or not. That extension will obviously encompass whether there’s no-deal or not. Let’s find that out tomorrow. “
But the party seems split once again, with Ben Bradshaw, a senior Labor backbencher, not prepared to back an election, and others daring the PM to “bring it on”.
Mr Bradshaw said: “I am certainly not falling into this trap.
” I think the overwhelming view of Labor MPs and Labor supporters in the country is we need a referendum first before an election. “
But Jon Trickett, MP for Hemsworth, tweeted: “Let’s be absolutely clear. Getting rid of this awful Tory government is our top priority. Our troops are ready, the party is fully prepared. Let’s get at them !!”
Jo Swinson said: “The Liberal Democrats will not support any election until it is clear that we can avoid crashing out with no-deal, and that needs an extension from the EU.”
It’s thought the EU is trying to balance two opposing views on an extension length, with Angela Merkel wanting to offer the UK until 31 January, but Emmanuel Macron favorite a short extension of just a couple of weeks, until 15 November.
Sky’s Brussels correspondent Adam Parsons said consensus was building around an extension which would be until 15 November, but could automatically continue until the end of January if the Withdrawal Agreement is not ratified by parliament.
A draft decision seen by Reuters on Thursday evening indicated a third extension would be granted “with the view to allow for the finalization of the ratification “of the deal.
Looks certain that Boris’ do or die by Oct 31 ‘Johnson has broken his solemn vow. He must now face the electorate. But this election will be about more than Brexit. It’s about building a new country
– Jon Trickett (@jon_trickett) (October) , 2019
However there could be a new deadlock, as parliament waits to see what the EU will offer, but one EU official said some members of the bloc want to know whether the election is coming first.
The draft decision says: “Consequently, the withdrawal should take place on the first day of the month following the completion of the ratification procedure, or on (blank), whichever is earliest.”
The prime minister is due to lay down his election plan in the House of Commons on Monday – but he will need two-thirds of MPs to support it.
Speaking after a meeting of senior cabinet ministers on Thursday, Mr Johnson vowed to act on MPs’ concerns he had given them too little time to scrutinise the EU Withdrawal Bill, which writes into UK law the deal he secured with Brussels.
“We are going to give them all the time they want, between now and the dissolution of parliament to do scrutiny, “he said.
Under Mr Johnson’s planned timetable, parliament would be disso lved on 6 November.
“We have had three years, we have been reasonable, if you want more time you can have it but we must all agree to go for an election on 12 December , “Mr Johnson said.
That is the same date as the next gathering of EU leaders in Brussels, and would be the first December election since 1923.
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Mr Johnson said he had been governing “for a long time” without a majority – it is currently 40 MPs short of a majority – and called on opposition parties to support the election proposal.
He added that it “looks as though” the EU will respond to his forced request to delay Brexit “by having an extension”.
The SNP’s constitution spokesperson Pete Wishart said his party would only back the election when a Brexit delay had been “secured” and added it “must be long enough to protect us from the cliff-edge of a no-deal Brexit “.
A Treasury source confirmed that the Budget, which was planned for 6 November, would be postponed.
The source said: “Parliament has voted for a delay. We’re calling for an election, so we won’t be delivering the Budget on November 6. “
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