Boris Johnson calls for December election amid Brexit chaos

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves Downing Street on October 24.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has conceded publicly for the first time that he will not deliver on his “do or die” promise that the UK will exit the European Union on October 31.

It’s yet another concession Johnson has had to make, after he did the very thing he said he’d rather be “dead in a ditch” than do: request an extension to article 50.

Johnson told lawmakers tonight that if they backed a general election on December 12th, they’d be allowed more time to scrutinize his Brexit deal. The announcement came just before lawmakers approved the Queen’s Speech — which set out the government’s legislative agenda for this parliamentary session.

Under normal circumstances Johnson would be celebrating, given his agenda was approved without a parliamentary majority. But, instead of popping open the champagne and getting ready to crack on with governing, Johnson is gearing up for an early general election.

Our live coverage is done for the night, but read Luke McGee’s analysis of the day’s events below.

Britain's Prime Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly Prime Ministers' Questions session, in parliament in London, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2019. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

Related article Boris Johnson's election call is an admission he's run out of Brexit options

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker delivered a frank speech in Brussels, where he expressed regret over not intervening during the United Kingdom’s referendum campaign.

“David Cameron asked me not to intervene in the referendum campaign because he said the European Commission is even less popular on the islands than on the continent,” Juncker said during a speech at the European Policy Centre?think tank.

“That was a major mistake, a major error: I should have intervened, because nobody was denying, contesting the lies Boris Johnson and others were spreading around,” he said.

On a more positive note, Juncker revealed that Brexit could have “split Europe forever. But it did not – unity has prevailed.”

“To the surprise of many we have not fallen apart, quite the reverse. In short, when put to the test, as we have been over the last five years, the resilience and strength of the Union has shone through.”

None of the main opposition parties have committed yet to backing the government’s motion for early elections, and it is unclear whether Johnson will have the votes to get it over the line.

Labour lawmaker Ian Lucas rejected Johnson’s demand for a snap poll, saying it was “not in the national interest.”

“What makes sense now is to discuss the Withdrawal Bill in a 3 month extension period, have the various votes and make the decisions. To have a General Election now is not in the national interest,” Lucas wrote.

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas tweeted the Johnson was “trying to have his cake and eat it.”

“A General Election will not resolve Brexit, and it must not happen until No Deal is properly secured and until people have had a final say,” she wrote.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Johnson was dangling an election to get his “own way.”

“So Johnson appears to be saying to MPs ‘if you vote for an election, I’ll bring back my bad Brexit bill and try to drag us out of the EU before we go to the polls’,” Sturgeon tweeted.

“Elections should be exercises in letting voters decide, not devices for charlatans to get their own way.”

Plaid Cymru too rejected Johnson’s proposal, with party leader Adam Price describing Johnson as “an increasingly desperate Prime Minister who has run out of road,” PA reported.

“Our priority remains delivering a final say referendum, rather than an election, as the clearest way to end the Brexit chaos,” Price said. “If his gamble fails on Monday, the Prime Minister has no option but to resign.”

A senior EU diplomat has told CNN that an early election “might make things easier” for the Brexit deal that has been agreed between the UK and Europe.

The diplomat added that the EU needs to help Johnson “believe the best way of winning that election would be with the deal he has, rather than with no deal.”

Chairman of the Conservative Party, James Cleverly, has tweeted that the government’s offer is a chance to see whether opposition parties “were being honest.”

“Opposition parties said they wanted more time to debate the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, they said they wanted a general election. Let’s see if they were being honest.”

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves Downing Street on October 24, 2019.

Here’s more from Johnson’s interview with the BBC – the Prime Minister said that in the event that the EU accepts another Brexit delay, the “way to get Brexit done” would be to grant Parliament more time to scrutinize his Brexit deal in exchange for an agreement to hold elections in December.

Johnson said an election was “the only way forward,” after Parliament has been “going on for a long time without a majority.”

The Prime Minister lost his working majority in Parliament in September after sacking rebels who voted against him to seize control of the Parliamentary agenda.

As a result, Johnson said it had become “impossible to deliver legislation.”

“It’s time, frankly, that the opposition summoned up the nerve to submit themselves to the judgement of our collective boss – which is the people of the UK,” he added.

To secure a vote on a general election, Johnson will need Labour’s support, and under the Fixed Terms Parliaments Act, two-thirds of MPs must back a vote on an early poll.

Johnson’s call for an election comes as the EU appears set to approve Britain’s request for a Brexit delay until the end of January 2020.

Moments after Parliament approved the Queen’s Speech, Leader of the House Jacob Rees-Mogg told the Commons that the government would table a motion for an early election on Monday.

In response, Labour’s Valerie Vaz – the Shadow Leader of the House – told Parliament that the Labour would only back an election once a no-deal Brexit was ruled out.

The EU is still discussing whether or not to grant the Brexit extension that Boris Johnson was forced to request last weekend.

Lawmakers have approved the Queen’s Speech, which lays out the government’s legislative agenda.

Queen Elizabeth II set out the government’s agenda in a speech on October 14th.

This vote was the first chance lawmakers have had to express views on Johnson’s proposed legislative program. The speech set out 26 bills that the government wants to introduce, including bills on domestic abuse, pensions, healthcare, the environment, animal welfare and Brexit.

Parliament is now voting on whether to approve or reject the Queen’s Speech, which sets out Prime Minister Johnson’s legislative agenda.

It is rare for a vote like this to fail. The last time a Queen’s Speech was rejected was in 1924.

Parliament has rejected an amendment to the Queen’s Speech brought forward by the Scottish National Party, which said that the Withdrawal Agreement Bill should not become law unless it is approved by the Scottish and Welsh parliaments.

Boris Johnson’s call for an election on December 12 sparked a sell-off in the pound as investors brace for more uncertainty.

The currency weakened Thursday afternoon in London, with losses reaching 1% after Johnson’s statement. The pound briefly dipped below $1.28 after trading as high as $1.30 as recently as Monday.

Parliament has rejected Labour’s amendment to the Queen’s Speech – which criticized Johnson’s plans and called for more action on the climate crisis.

Johnson tweeted a letter he’s written to opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, asking him to support a general election on December 12.

He added that it will give Parliament the chance to “get Brexit done before the election” but if lawmakers refuse “to take this chance and fails to ratify by the end of 6 November … then the issue will have to be resolved by a new Parliament.”

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told the BBC that he will give lawmakers more time to debate a Brexit deal, but only if they agree to an election on December 12.

Parliament is now voting on whether to approve or reject the Queen’s Speech, which sets out UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s legislative agenda.

The first vote is on a Labour amendment criticising Johnson’s plans and calling for more action on the climate crisis.

It is rare for a vote on the Queen’s Speech to fail. The last time a Queen’s Speech was rejected was in 1924.

Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne.

Finnish Prime Minister Antti Rinne, speaking in Finland on Thursday, said there is a “very big majority” among nations who are willing given an extension.

He added: “If there is a need to discuss at the place in Brussels, it means I’m ready to go there also. Now, it seems for me it is possible to have a written process.”

President-elect of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen – who was also speaking from Finland – said granting an extension “looks very good” but what remains uncertain is the precise length of the extension.

The European Commission’s deputy spokeswoman, Natasha Bertaud, reiterated that President Donald Tusk “is consulting the leaders of EU27 on the UK’s request to extend Article 50 to the 31st January 2020 and of course we continue to follow events in London this week very closely.”

Germany’s Brexit spokesman, Axel Dittmann, has revealed on Twitter that “Austrittsvertragsratifizierungsgesetzentwurf” is the German word for “Withdrawal Agreement Bill.”

An official hangs a Union Jack next to an European Union flag at EU Headquarters in Brussels.

A European Union official has told CNN that a meeting will take place at 4 a.m. ET Friday where ambassadors of the 27 EU member states will discuss the UK’s Brexit extension request.

A couple of things could materialize from this meeting:

Future European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Meanwhile in Europe, the next president for the European Commission – Ursula von der Leyen, says the Brexit agreement between the EU and UK is “good for people on both sides, good for the economy on both sides,” according to Britain’s PA news agency.

She added that it also respects the Good Friday peace agreement.

The new President, who is due to take over from Jean-Claude Juncker in December said Brexit is “not the end of something, it’s a good starting point for a future relationship.”

The government won’t be putting its Brexit bill to Parliament next week and won’t be seeking an election either, according to the agenda set out by the Leader of the House Jacob Rees-Mogg.

The government could still table an election motion through an emergency statement.

The Liberal Democrat amendment to the Queen’s Speech vote calling for a second Brexit referendum has not been selected by the Speaker, John Bercow.

Bercow instead picked two amendments to Boris Johnson’s legislative program: A Labour amendment criticising Johnson’s plans and calling for more action on the climate crisis, and an SNP call for the Brexit withdrawal agreement bill to be approved by the Scottish parliament before it becomes law.

The votes would be expected to go along party lines, so it’s unlikely either amendment will win the support of Parliament.

A Christmas tree is set up outside Downing Street in 2012.

For most Brits, a December election likely sounds like a Nightmare Before Christmas.

It’s cold, it’s dark, it’s wet, and the mammoth task of organizing the festive diary is usually far closer to people’s minds that political machinations and policy proposals.

That may partly explain why Brits haven’t headed for the ballot boxes in December since 1923, when Ramsay MacDonald won enough seats in a hung parliament to form the country’s first ever Labour government.

But given the all-consuming nature of the Brexit process, it’s perhaps fitting that political chaos now appears poised to invade the UK’s homes around the Christmas period.

Will a Christmas election happen? The prospect of a Yuletide vote this year is now a very real one, with Boris Johnson threatening to call for a snap poll if the European Union decides on a lengthy Brexit delay. Key aides in the Prime Minister’s team are reportedly pushing for him to do so.

And the longer Johnson waits to make the move, the closer a poll will inch towards Christmas Day. There must be 25 working days between an election being called and the vote taking place – which means that if Parliament approves the plan next week, the first week in December is the earliest it could take place.

As elections traditionally take place on a Thursday, the current timetable makes December 5 or December 12 the most likely dates.

To secure a vote, he would also need Labour’s support – under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act, two-thirds of MPs must back an early poll.

An anti-Brexit Santa Claus protests in London last year.

Who would win? The more pressing question is what the outcome of an election would be. Johnson’s party enjoys a healthy lead in opinion polls over Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour, and if that translated to votes he would sweep to an outright victory and claim a majority in Parliament.

That likely means Johnson could then pass his Brexit deal immediately, without having to worry about political opponents amending its contents.

But the risks are clear. His predecessor Theresa May fell into the same trap in 2017, when her lead over Corbyn was so tempting she decided to contest an election. A woeful campaign and a resurgent Corbyn wrecked her plans, and the vote returned the split Parliament Johnson now finds himself constrained by.

Corbyn, a formidable campaigner whose party has been on an election footing for some time, would be expected to back to vote as long as the EU’s Brexit delay has been confirmed and a no-deal split ruled out.

And despite Johnson’s polling lead, the bookmakers are currently predicting another hung parliament – meaning Brits would find months’ worth of further political uncertainty under their trees on Christmas morning.

Boris Johnson unveils a Christmas tree at the Foreign Office in 2017.

Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson has urged Jeremy Corbyn to back her party’s call for a second Brexit referendum today.

In a letter to the Labour leader, Swinson wrote: “We now find ourselves with a Prime Minister with no majority, a Brexit plan that he cannot get through Parliament and a Downing Street straining at the leash for a General Election.

“This situation is incredibly fluid, and the Prime Minister has already proved he is willing to do anything and everything in order to get the outcome that he wants.”

“This week may present our last meaningful chance to get a People’s Vote in this Parliament, and I would ask that you support the calls of the hundreds of thousands of people who marched this weekend to demand a final say and back a People’s Vote in Parliament today,” Swinson wrote.

If the amendment is selected by the Speaker, it is unlikely to win the support of Parliament. But Corbyn has shifted his party’s policy to support a confirmatory referendum on a Brexit deal.

The anti-Brexit Liberal Democrat Party has tabled an amendment to Boris Johnson’s Queen’s Speech vote today, calling for a second Brexit referendum.

It follows a People’s Vote march in London on Saturday, in which hundreds of thousands of people demanded another poll.

But it remains to be seen whether the amendment, which is virtually certain to fail if it is selected for a vote, will help or harm the cause.

The Queen’s Speech included a raft of policy proposals from Johnson’s government, and marked the start of a new parliamentary session. A vote on its contents is coming up later this afternoon.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday.

Boris Johnson is facing criticism today after pulling out of a scheduled grilling by MPs over his Brexit plan with less than 24 hours’ notice.

The Prime Minister was meant to face questions from the House of Commons’ Liaison Committee today, but again asked for a new date to be arranged at the last minute, UK news agency PA reported.

Sarah Wollaston, the chair of the committee, told BBC Radio 4 that the public would have to “draw their own conclusions” about the reasons for the request, amid suggestions he is trying to avoid scrutiny over his Brexit strategy.

“I do think it’s extraordinary to have now cancelled on three occasions, and last time he canceled he submitted himself to 14 minutes of Facebook live questions with pre-submitted questions,” Wollaston, a Liberal Democrat MP, said. She also posted her response to Johnson’s handwritten letter on Twitter.

Johnson’s predecessor Theresa May faced tough questions about her own Brexit plan when she took part in the committee’s hearing.

Much has been made of the reported splits in Boris Johnson’s Cabinet, apparently over whether to call a snap election or put the PM’s Brexit plan to Parliament again.

The debate has been laid bare across British papers on Thursday, following a BuzzFeed report yesterday that Johnson’s key adviser Dominic Cummings is leading the charge for a “People vs Parliament” poll before Christmas.

November 28 or December 5 are penciled in as Cummings’ preferred dates, reports the Telegraph, while The Times suggests Johnson is leaning towards calling a vote either tonight or on Monday.

But the Sun notes that several ministers are wary of losing seats in an election, despite Johnson’s healthy position in the polls.

There must be 25 working days between an election being called and voting day, which means the UK would likely be set for its first December election since 1923.

Good morning from London.

Brexit has been in limbo since Tuesday, after MPs refused to fast-track Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal through Parliament and the Prime Minister froze the legislation.

Now, there’s one question on everyone’s lips – what on earth happens next?

European Union leaders are still considering the UK’s request for a Brexit extension, and their decision will have huge ramifications on the process in London.

If there’s enough time allowed by the delay, Johnson could roll the dice and call a general election – the most likely route out of the parliamentary quagmire that has stymied attempts to pull Britain out of the EU.

Alternatively, the Prime Minister may feel confident enough to try passing his Brexit deal one more time. But with opposition MPs ready to take a scalpel to the bill and change the shape of the deal altogether, that decision is a risk too.

Johnson’s Cabinet is reportedly split on the issue, but we may find out what the government plans to do on Thursday – and if they lose a vote on their wider policy plans this afternoon, their hand could be forced.

We’ll have live updates throughout the day as the Brexit crisis rolls on.