UK’s Johnson aims for December election

The UK PM has said he will give MPs more time to debate his Brexit deal, if they agree to a 12 December election.

The prime minister told the BBC he expected the EU to grant an extension to his 31 October deadline, even though he "really" did not want one.

But Jeremy Corbyn said he would not support an election until a no-deal Brexit is "off the table".

EU leaders are expected to give their verdict on delaying Brexit for up to three months on Friday.

Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg told MPs the government would on Monday table a motion calling for a general election.

Under the 2011 Fixed-Term Parliament Act, two-thirds of MPs must vote for a general election before one can be held.

In a letter to Labour leader Mr Corbyn, Mr Johnson said his "preferred option" was a short Brexit postponement "say to 15 or 30 November".

But Mr Corbyn said: "Take no-deal off the table and we absolutely support a general election.

"I've been calling for an election ever since the last one because this country needs one to deal with all the social injustice issues - but no-deal must be taken off the table.

"The EU will decide whether there is an extension tomorrow... and then we can decide."

Mr Johnson wrote that, in that case, he would try to get his deal through Parliament again, with Labour's support.

The prime minister added that he "assumes" Mr Corbyn "will cooperate with me to get our new Brexit deal ratified, so we leave with a new deal rather than no deal".

If, as widely expected, the EU's Brexit delay is to the end of January, Mr Johnson said he will hold a Commons vote next week on a 12 December election.

If Labour agrees to this, the government said it will try to get its deal through before Parliament is dissolved for the campaign on 6 November.

Treasury sources told the BBC that the Budget would not now be delivered on 6 November as scheduled.

Source: BBC
 

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