Boris Johnson gets his Christmas wish as he clinches a general election after Jeremy Corbyn caves in
BRITAIN was last night set for a New Year’s Eve Brexit after Boris Johnson clinched a pre-Christmas general election.
The Prime Minister won a massive Commons majority of 418 for a nationwide poll on Thursday, December 12.
He now has the chance to go to the country and win a decent mandate, before bringing his Brexit deal straight back to Parliament to be rubber-stamped.
Boris would have around a week to pass the landmark Withdrawal Agreement Bill before the end of 2019.
The EU yesterday set a new departure date of 11pm on January 31 into law after the PM was forced to apply for a fresh three-month delay.
But under the terms of the Brussels “flextension”, Britain can leave on December 31 — a month early — if the deal is passed by MPs and the European Parliament.
In another vote last night, the Government defeated an opposition bid to hold Britain’s first ever general election on a Monday — December 9 — by 315 to 295.
The Government also defeated repeated Labour bids to try to fix the election in its favour by giving 16 and 17 year-olds and three million resident EU citizens the vote.
CORBYN CAVES IN
In other significant developments:
- Mr Johnson is told today he must win over a new key target voter, dubbed Workington Man
- Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn backed calls for a bank holiday on polling day to ensure the maximum amount of people are able to vote
- The PM restored the Tory whip to ten MPs he sacked last month
- EU boss Donald Tusk warned this extension “may be the last”
The first December general election since 1923 got the green light after Mr Corbyn finally caved in and agreed to it.
MPs backed a special bill to set a date for the snap poll by 438 to 20. But around 200 from opposition parties protested by abstaining — including 104 Labour MPs who defied Mr Corbyn’s three-line whip.
Mr Johnson told the Commons an election was desperately needed as the Brexit delay is “seriously damaging to the national interest”.
A new Parliament would have a “new mandate to deliver on the will of the people and get Brexit done”, he added.
Quizzed by Tory MPs during a meeting of the party’s 1922 Committee, he added: “It’ll be a tough election and we are going to do the best we can.”
The PM told reporters outside the meeting: “I think it’s time for the country to come together, get Brexit done and go forward.”
And he pledged to roll out a manifesto of One Nation policies and fight Mr Corbyn with his big spending pledges on schools, hospitals and the police.
The Labour leader pulled his spectacular U-turn to agree a poll after consulting with his Shadow Cabinet yesterday morning.
He declared the EU’s agreement to delay Brexit until January 31 made an election now possible as No Deal is now off the table.
Insisting he was now up for the fight too, Mr Corbyn countered: “We will now launch the most ambitious and radical campaign for real change our country has ever seen”.
The 70-year-old veteran leftwinger added: “I can’t wait to get out there on the streets. It’s going to be fun”.
PM'S ELECTION PUSH
The poll will be the first December election in Britain since 1923.
Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson said: “This general election will decide the future of our country for generations. It is our best chance to elect a government to stop Brexit.”
After failing previously to get an election by winning over two-thirds of MPs, Mr Johnson yesterday tried an alternative route — a short bill that just needed a simple majority.
All four stages of it were passed through the Common in record speed. The bill was last night handed over to the Lords to make it law by the end of the week.
Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg confirmed the dissolution date would be next Wednesday.
Labour attempted to attach a string of conditions to the bill that they hoped would swing the election in their favour.
Amendments to give 16 and 17-year-olds and EU citizens the vote were backed by Mr Corbyn and threatened to derail the whole election plan.
In a game of high-stakes brinkmanship, No10 threatened to pull the bill altogether if the amendments succeeded.
The PM’s spokesman warned that changing the voting age law would make the election “administratively impossible” because it would take up to a year to add them to the electoral roll.
And requiring up to three million EU citizens to be eligible would also cause chaos.
But Deputy Speaker Lindsay Hoyle saved the Government’s skin when he chose not to select the wrecking amendments.
Tory Brexiteers backed the PM’s election push.
Quoting Oliver Cromwell, veteran eurosceptic Sir Bill Cash said: “In the name of God, go. It’s time for this Parliament to depart, and let’s get Brexit done.”
But all four major Westminster parties faced revolts over the decision, with a host of MPs dubbing it the wrong way to settle Brexit.
Some pro-Brexit Conservative and Labour MPs implored the PM to try to pass the EU Withdrawal Agreement Bill instead.
'SHEER MADNESS'
Veteran anti-EU Labour MP Frank Field asked Mr Johnson: “Isn’t one Brexit in the hand, better than two Brexits in the bush?”
Fearing a ballot box drubbing, Labour Remainers were also furious that Mr Corbyn had conceded an election rather than holding out for a second referendum.
Labour MP Barry Sheerman tweeted: “Sheer madness to hold a General Election in December and on Boris Johnson’s agenda!”
The Commons decision also sparked massive jockeying for seats. Meanwhile, some Tory defectors declared their candidacies and others said they would stand down.
Ex-Tory Sam Gyimah, now a Lib Dem, announced he would run in the Remain bastion of Kensington, West London.
That would turn the seat into a three-way marginal against the Tories, who traditionally looked on it as a safe seat, and Labour, who narrowly took it in 2017.
Ex-Conservative Chancellor Philip Hammond, who was suspended from the Tory whip for rebelling on Brexit, accused No10 of holding the election just to oust moderates like himself.
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Last night, business leaders welcomed the election, saying it was finally a chance to break the Brexit deadlock and remove uncertainty from stymying economic growth.
Confederation of British Industry chief Dame Carolyn Fairbairn said: “This may be a winter election but it must bring a spring thaw to our frozen economy.
"It offers a one-off chance to break the gridlock that has blighted our country for over three years — we urge politicians on all sides to take it.”
Last poll in December
THE last time a December election was held was in 1923 — the same year that Wembley hosted its first FA Cup Final.
Held on the 6th, the result was a hung Parliament and, a month later in January 1924, the first Labour government was formed — with support from the Liberals.
Ramsay MacDonald became PM for nine months, despite the Conservative Party winning the most seats in the vote. Winston Churchill, left, stood as a Liberal but lost in West Leicester.
A man’s average weekly wage was about £5 and a pint of milk cost 3d and a pint of beer 5d.
The average house cost just £350 — the equivalent of £20,000 today.
It was also the year Adolf Hitler was arrested for his part in the failed Beer Hall Putsch.
King George V presented Bolton Wanderers the FA Cup after their 2-0 triumph over West Ham during a packed final — famed for the image of a white horse breaking up crowds.
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