UK PM Johnson challenges opponents to agree to October 15 election
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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday challenged opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn to agree to an Oct. 15 parliamentary election, calling a Labour-led plan to try and prevent a no-deal Brexit a ‘surrender bill’.
“This government will take this country out of the European Union on October 31st, and there is only one thing that stands in our way, it is the ‘surrender bill’ currently being proposed by the leader of the opposition (Corbyn),” Johnson told parliament.
“Can I invite the leader of the opposition to confirm, when he stands up shortly, that if that surrender bill is passed, he will allow the people of this country to have their view on what he is proposing to hand over in their name, with an election on October the 15th.”
Johnson will attempt to trigger a general election today after MPs – including 21 rebels from within his own party – inflicted a stinging defeat on him.
Members trying to avoid a no-deal Brexit next month won a dramatic vote to seize control of the parliamentary agenda on Tuesday, paving the way for a delay in leaving the EU.
That number includes Philip Hammond, who was chancellor until six weeks ago, and other grandees such as Ken Clarke and Sir Nicholas Soames.
The group will now try on Wednesday to pass legislation forcing Boris Johnson to ask the EU to postpone Brexit if no new deal has been struck by 19 October or MPs have not endorsed a no-deal divorce.
In Tuesday vote, they succeeded by 328 to 301 votes to suspend a Commons rule that says only the government can create new laws – helped by the 21 Tory rebels who have now been thrown out of the party.
Johnson said he would introduce the necessary law calling for a snap poll on Wednesday, which will require two-thirds of MPs to support it to pass.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn claimed there was “no majority for no-deal in the country” and “no consent in this house to leave the EU without a deal”. He added he would support an election but only after the legislation has completed all the stages it needs to in parliament to “take no-deal off the table”.
