BREAKING: Boris Johnson announces push for December general election
Boris Johnson has announced in parliament that he will seek a December general election. He claimed that parliamentary support for a vote on 12 December would give MPs more time to go through Brexit legislation.
This comes amid signs that the EU is set to grant a fresh Brexit delay until the end of January after Johnson was forced – under the terms of the Benn Act – to request a further extension. He has said that, if that happened, he would abandon his attempts to get his Brexit deal through parliament and go for an election instead.
Under the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act (FTPA), however, Johnson needs a two-thirds “super majority” of MPs to be able to go the country.
UK PM Boris Johnson says if Parliament "genuinely want more time to study" his new Brexit deal, "they can have it, but they have to agree to a general election on December 12" https://t.co/pLnhpdlRlm pic.twitter.com/6UldqFjCrM
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) October 24, 2019
Johnson’s two previous attempts to get an election have been blocked because Labour has refused to support him. Earlier, shadow chancellor John McDonnell refused to be drawn on what his party would do if Johnson made a third attempt. “We will see what happens. We are trying to take this in stages. We will confront that hurdle when we see it,” he told reporters at Westminster.
With the EU expected to formally announce its decision on an extension of Friday, the cabinet has met in political session to discuss its next move. If ministers do indeed table a motion under the FTPA on Monday, this could pave the way – if it is passed – for the first December election since 1923.
McDonnell acknowledged there was “a difference of views” within the Labour Party on this issue, but added: “Once an election is in the offing people usually rally together.” Indeed, numerous Labour supporters responded to Johnson’s announcement by saying “bring it on”:
Boris Johnson has just announced that he’s tabling a motion on Monday for a general election…
If the motion passes, we'll have the chance to positively transform this country for the many!
We say: bring it on!
— Momentum 🌹 (@PeoplesMomentum) October 24, 2019
It's clear that an election is being officially called for by Boris Johnson this evening.
The fight for the nation's soul is about to begin: it's time to unite to end Tory rule, end austerity, scrap tuition fees, build a new Britain, and get a People's Vote.
Bring this on.
— Owen Jones (@owenjonesjourno) October 24, 2019
Boris Johnson is tabling a motion to hold a General Election 49 days from today. We have 49 days to convince voters that the cold, sick, frail, poor, hungry & homeless matter more than Brexit. If we achieve that, Boris will be defeated. Let's make this a broad based campaign.
— Tory Fibs (@ToryFibs) October 24, 2019
If Boris Johnson wants to “take it to the country” in a General Election.
Labour should not hesitate to call his bluff and vote for a General Election.
Austerity has killed people, destroyed communities & stripped public services to the bone. pic.twitter.com/dxwWbHFdii
— Labour's Black PLP (@LaboursBlackPLP) October 24, 2019
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Labour does have a problem in that the new wave of voters who elected for a vision of Jeremy Corbyn’s isn’t reflected in the make up of it’s MP’s. I think many ot these older party people empowered by the social success of this vision are willing to simply play the politic as was done under Tony Blair where the substance of an issue is of no consequence.
Purely social but without a brain scan showing that life is still present.
The fake antisemitic smear campaign against Corbyn is a case in point.
My guess of their viewpoint goes like this.
So close to victory we just roll with the media to be elected as the ruling party. We are afraid of losing votes we are just so close to power, and let’s go with the perceived true , and tested way of Blair. “He was a success afterall”
Let’s for for our version of Brexit so we don’t lose.
The choice in the election ought to be a parliamentary democracy or a Boris Brexit. There is no other Brexit on the table after the deselection of the 21 Conservative MP’s period.
A little weeding of their winter garden is in order of the Labour Party before the General Election.
John McDonnell has a good humane sense about him for dealing with people but this Brexit is an inhumane politic going down. A mindfuck as they say in the mainstream.
Time to think!
Afterall