Boris Johnson challenges MPs to pass his new Brexit deal first and then hold general election on December 12
BORIS Johnson laid down the gauntlet to MPs to pass his new Brexit deal and then hold a Christmas general election on December 12.
The dramatic new twin course of action is the only way to end Parliament’s crippling months of deadlock, the PM declared.
It came after German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned him the EU were likely to turn down his plea for a short Brexit delay of only a few weeks and impose a flexible three month extension instead.
The shock tactic was drawn up by No10 aides to ratchet up maximum pressure on Mr Corbyn as well as creating a new deadline for the PM’s derailed Brexit deal to be passed.
But it was far from clear that the plan would work, and some Cabinet ministers feared yet an even deeper deadlock next week.
In an open letter to Mr Corbyn, Boris declared: “We cannot risk further paralysis.
“We must give the voters the chance to resolve this situation as soon as reasonably possible before the next deadline of 31 January.
“We cannot risk wasting the next three months then this farce being replayed.”
He added: “This Parliament has refused to take decision. It cannot refuse to let the voters replace it with a new Parliament that can make decisions”.
The PM summoned his Cabinet to unveil the plan during a special political meeting at 3pm to resolve divisions over whether to give the bill another go or try to force an immediate election.
A Cabinet source said when the PM presented the plan there was “no dissent”.
'PARLIAMENT IS BROKEN'
But some ministers warned the PM that it was a “high risk” move, as it may see rebel MPs try to seize control of Parliament again.
Others remained sceptical that Labour will agree an early election with the party tanking in the polls at just 25%, with one minister around the PM’s top table telling The Sun: “Parliament is broken, but I’m not sure how or why Labour would agree to this though”.
Mr Johnson needs Labour’s agreement to the plan, as only a two thirds majority of all MPs - 434 of them – can authorise a general election under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act.
Announcing the general election vote, Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said the Government was also ready to bring back the Withdrawal Agreeemnt Bill, saying: “Mr Speaker, we will start work tomorrow if you’re willing to recall Parliament”.
Labour chiefs said they will reject the PM’s bid to trigger a snap election.
All Labour MPs received a memo from Chief Whip Nick Brown telling them the party would be formally abstaining on Monday’s vote.
It came after the Labour boss held a hastily arranged 90-minute long meeting with some of his shadow cabinet to discuss the PM’s proposal.
Sources said the team was “unanimous” that they “shouldn’t play Johnson’s game”.
PRE-CHRISTMAS ELECTION 'FAR FROM IDEAL'
But chaos then reined over Labour’s official position, as Mr Corbyn said the party would instead decide what to do over the weekend.
In a TV interview, Mr Corbyn did not rule out supporting an election, saying he would when No Deal is taken “off the table”.
He added: “Tomorrow the European Union will decide whether there’s going to be an extension granted or not, that extension will obviously encompass whether there’s a No Deal or not.
“Let’s find that out tomorrow.”
Another Cabinet source said there was “no agreement” among the Shadow Cabinet on what to do during the vote on Monday.
Instead, they insisted Mr Corbyn had been bounced into rejecting the election offer by chief whip Nick Brown, only to insist publicly that the party would decide what to do over the weekend.
Labour MPs went public to demand Mr Corbyn refuse to back the election.
Labour MP Barry Sheerman told Sky News: “Jim Callaghan used to say turkeys don’t vote for Christmas. Well we aren’t turkeys, we are sensible.
“We know you don’t run into an election when you don’t have to. And why would we want to ruin everybody’s Christmas?”
If Boris succeeds in his election demand, it will be the first time the country has gone to the polls in December since 1923.
Disrupting Christmas celebrations in schools is a price worth paying for a December election to resolve Brexit, the Tory party chairman claimed.
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A December 12 polling date would come just as schools to be used as polling stations put on nativity plays.
Tory party boss James Cleverly said: “I don’t want to be the Grinch. Democracy is incredibly important. We want to get on with governing”.
Mr Cleverly admitted a winter general election so close to Christmas is “far from ideal”.
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