Boris Johnson has offered MPs more time to debate his Brexit deal in parliament if opposition parties grant him a general election ahead of Christmas.
The prime minister appealed to Jeremy Corbyn to support a motion for an early election next week, as Mr Johnson cannot call a poll without the support of two thirds of MPs. But Labour is divided over whether to support the plan, as the party is trailing in the polls.
Mr Corbyn said he would wait for the EU answer on whether there will be a Brexit extension before deciding whether to back an election vote on Monday.
It comes as Mr Johnson faced a battle to get his Queen’s Speech passed today, but will not quit even if MPs vote it down, No 10 has said. It would be the first time a government had lost its legislative programme since 1924 – when PM Stanley Baldwin was forced to resign.
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Boris Johnson set to push for vote on general election
Boris Johnson is preparing to push for a pre-Christmas general election after talks with Labour ended without a breakthrough on a timetable for parliament to pass his Brexit deal.
One Downing Street source said: “At that point, we know what will happen. This broken parliament will always vote for delay, rather than a deal. Therefore, if parliament is unwilling to vote for a deal, then we will have to get to a general election.”
Our political editor has the details.
Boris Johnson ready to push for pre-Christmas election after talks with Labour collapse
Downing Street warns that parliament will use any Brexit extension offered by the EU to impose more delayEmergency summit ahead? Macron said to be keen on short extension
Are we all getting too complacent about the extension from Brussels?
According to The Independent’s Europe correspondent Jon Stone notes, the French are unwilling to rubber stamp the 31 January 2020, three-month extension that other power brokers appear to want.
According to The Telegraph, Emmanuel Macron is keen on giving the UK until November 15. “We will see if a purely technical extension of a few days is justified,” said his Europe minister Amélie de Montchalin.
The respected EU analyst Mujtaba Rahman says Macron “has decided that Boris Johnson is a good thing” and “sees him as the best way of getting Brexit done quickly”.
If leaders are unable to find consensus they’ll have to meet for another EU summit to discuss it, perhaps early next week.
Irish premier Leo Varadkar said: “My bags are always packed for Brussels and packed they are again.”
Lib Dems share Queen’s Speech amendment for Final Say public vote
The Liberal Democrats have shared their amendment to the Queen’s Speech calling for a second Brexit referendum.
The amendment, signed by the party’s MPs, proposes the addition to the legislation: “At end add ‘but believe that your Government should make arrangements for a people’s vote in which the public will have the choice between the latest withdrawal agreement and remaining in the European Union’.”
PM ‘refusing to be held to account’, says committee chair
Boris Johnson has prompted accusations that he is “refusing to be held to account” after again pulling out of an appearance before senior MPs.
The PM wrote to Commons liaison committee chair Sarah Wollaston he tell her he couldn’t possibly appear before her Commons liaison committee because he was too busy getting Brexit done: “I do hope you will understand.”
Wollaston told the prime minister the delay was "unacceptable" and accused him of “refusing to be held to account”.
All the details here:
Boris Johnson accused of 'refusing to be held to account' after pulling out of select committee appearance for third time
Labour Party chair brands prime minister a 'coward' while Lib Dem MP condemns 'unacceptable' refusalRebecca Long-Bailey won’t say whether Labour wants pre-Christmas election
Labour’s shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey, when asked on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme if the party would vote for an election if the EU grants an extension, said “that’s our position”.
But appearing on Sky News, she refused to answer directly whether she wanted an election this side of Christmas.
“I want a general election,” said Long-Bailey.
Host Kay Burley asked: “Do you want a general election – straight answer to a straight question – do you want a general election this side of Christmas?”
The Labour MP said: “I want a general election … I’ve answered the question multiple times … it’s a multi-faceted answer.”
Burley said: “So it’s not going to happen this side of Christmas.”
Long-Bailey responded: “Well, we’ll see – your guess is as good as mine at this stage.”
James Cleverly claims Halloween Brexit could still happen
Tory Party chairman James Cleverly has not ruled out Brexit taking place on October 31 and said the Government has had to “ramp up” its no-deal preparations.
He told the Today programme: “The EU has not agreed an extension and therefore it is absolutely essential that we make sure that we are ready to leave.”
On the possibility of a nearly election, Cleverly said: “We’ve been calling for a general election, me personally, the prime minister at the ballot box, my friends and colleagues all around the country, for months now.
“The Labour Party are running scared and I can completely understand why, their Brexit message is confused at best.”
On the possibility of a Christmas election affecting Nativity plays at schools which will have to be used as polling stations, he added: “I don’t want to be the Grinch. But the point is democracy is incredibly important and we have been prevented on discharging the duty imposed upon us.”
What happens if Boris Johnson loses his Queen’s Speech vote?
The last time a government lost a Queen’s Speech vote was in January 1924 under the Conservative prime minister Stanley Baldwin – except, of course, it was a “King’s Speech”, with under George V the reigning monarch.
After he tried and failed to get his legislative programme passed, Baldwin subsequently resigned and a minority Labour government then assumed office.
Downing Street has previously made clear Johnson would not quit if he loses today, however.
There was speculation the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) could vote against him today because of their anger over the Brexit deal which sees special customs arrangements for Northern Ireland.
But the party’s 10 MPs are now expected to back the Johnson legislative agenda – boosting his chances of getting it passed in the Commons later.
James Cleverly denies cabinet splits over early election
The Tory chairman James Cleverly has denied a split in the party over whether to bring a vote on a general election.
There are widespread reports of a rift in cabinet this morning, with some ministers said to be telling Boris Johnson to push for the pre-Christmas election he appears to want, while others advise the PM to hold off and make an effort to get his Brexit bill through the Commons.
No 10 chief of staff Edward Lister is reportedly keen to focus on the bill, while strategist Dominic Cummings is desperate for that pre-Christmas “people vs parliament” election.
But Cleverly played the stories down. He told Sky News: “Don’t always believe the papers. The cabinet makes collective decisions and when the cabinet speaks, it speaks with one voice.
“That is how it is meant to do, the cabinet position, the government’s position, the prime minister’s position is clear. We are ready for a general election, we have been calling for an election for months. The Labour Party is frightened.”
All the details here:
Senior Tory denies Boris Johnson's cabinet split over early general election
Labour frontbencher also says party will back an election after EU grants delay - despite splits among MPsFrench senator says extension should be ‘as short as possible’
French senator Nathalie Goulet has speaking about the thinking on the extension in Paris. Unlike the rest of the EU power brokers, thought to be keen on agreeing to a three-month extension, Emmanuel Macron is thought to be keen on much shorter delay.
“I have to tell you we don’t understand anything in the proceedings – it’s a little foggy. It’s like a bad soap [opera],” Goulet said of events in the Commons this week.
Asked how long a delay she thinks there should be, Goulet said: “As short as possible … as soon as possible. If we need an exact schedule I think we need a fortune teller or a crystal ball, because it becomes totally unreadable.”
According to The Telegraph, Emmanuel Macron is keen on giving the UK until November 15, while the respected EU analyst Mujtaba Rahman said Macron “has decided that Boris Johnson is a good thing” and “sees him as the best way of getting Brexit done quickly”.
But Rahman says this morning that the French are beginning to be persuaded against a short extension to get the Brexit bill through parliament.
Nick Boles will abstain on Queen’s Speech vote
The former Tory MP Nick Boles – who now sits as an Independent – says he will abstain on the Queen’s Speech vote later today. He is not pleased the government agenda fails to even mention housing.
McDonnell says Labour would agree to pre-Christmas election ‘if necessary’
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell confirmed on ITV’s Peston last night that Labour offered the prime minister a new timetable for his Brexit bill which could see it wrapped up – if agreed – by mid-November.
McDonnell said Labour is prepared for an election if there can’t be an agreement over the bill.
“We’re hoping, step by step, hoping we can get some agreement with the government ... If we can’t we’re up for an election for whenever it comes, and we’re confident,” he told Robert Peston.
Asked if the party would agree to an election before Christmas, he said: “Well, if necessary”.
Who would win a general election?
Jeremy Corbyn says that he wants an election – although it’s not clear whether the leadership will agree to one in the days ahead. But whether Labour should want one is another question entirely.
Sean O’Grady has taken a look at who is likely to triumph at the ballot box.
Jeremy Corbyn says that he wants a public vote but, Sean O'Grady writes, whether he should want one is another question entirely
Jeremy Corbyn says that he wants a public vote but whether he should want one is another question entirelyDamian Green says PM has ‘done great things’
Asked about an early, pre-Christmas election, Tory MP Damian Green said: “My advice to the prime minister, whatever it’s worth, would be, ‘You are very close, you have done great things … You have got a deal’.
“We are very, very close to Boris Johnson being able to go to the people and say, ‘I said I would get a deal, we’ve got a deal, we’ve signed it and parliament’s signed it off.’ That seems to be a more sensible time to hold a general election,” he told Sky News.
Fellow Tory MP James Brokenshire agreed. He said: “I think that now we have got that second reading through … get the deal done, then go to the country.”
Labour peer Lord Adonis, a leading advocate of a Final Say referendum, warned the PM off a snap poll.
“An election in December is clearly a very tough thing to do. We haven’t had an election in December for 109 years.
“It gets dark 4.30pm in the afternoon and Scotland could be snow bound … the deal is falling apart day by day.”
Division over timing of Lib Dem referendum amendment?
The Lib Dems earlier shared their amendment to the Queen’s Speech calling for a second Brexit referendum.
According to Kevin Schofield of the Politics Home website, there are “big splits” in the People’s Vote movement over whether now is the right time to have a vote on a Final Say public vote.
Jo Swinson pleads with Jeremy Corbyn to back referendum amendment
The Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson has now written to Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn asking him to get behind her party’s amendment to today’s Queen’s Speech, seeking a referendum on the Brexit deal.
“This week may present our last meaningful chance to get a People’s Vote in this Parliament,” she says. “I believe we cannot afford to wait any longer.”
A reminder that two Labour backbenchers – Peter Kyle and Phil Wilson – had tabled an amendment to attach a referendum to Boris Johnson’s withdrawal agreement bill before the legislation was “paused” by the PM.
George Osborne corrects Tory press office
Former chancellor George Osborne – now Evening Standard editor – has clashed with Tory press office.
It follows a claim by the Conservatives’ twitter account that Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal had already “passed” parliament. Osborne points out there’s a difference between passing at the second reading stage and suggesting it’s won the approval of parliament.
Barclay challenged on Norther Ireland border checks and forms
Labour MP Yvette Cooper, chairwoman of the Commons Home Affairs Committee, said she had just been given a memorandum from the Home Office confirming that there would be checks on goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland under Boris Johnson’s deal.
“The home secretary couldn’t answer this in committee yesterday,” she added.
Brexit secretary Steve Barclay sought to reassure MPs and businesses about the nature of checks on goods proposed in the PM’s deal.
Responding to an urgent question in the Commons, Barclay said: “I think it’s important to reassure businesses in terms of this is an administrative process, this an electronic form.
“It is something that is part of bookings that will be done with the haulier as part of the shipment of goods and actually involves ... fairly straightforward data in terms who is exporting, who is importing and indeed what the nature of the goods are.”
Barclay clarified comments made by Johnson on Wednesday when he said there would be no checks between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
Barclay said: “It is the case the prime minister was distinguishing between the paperwork that is required, which will be done digitally and is a single form, rather than actually introducing physicals checks.
“In the coming months, we will need to work both within the United Kingdom and with the European Union to discuss how to eliminate the limited and administrative processes.”
PM won’t resign if Queen’s Speech is voted down
Boris Johnson’s official spokesman has confirmed that the prime minister will not resign if his Queen’s Speech is voted down by MPs later today, writes our political editor Andrew Woodcock.
Asked whether Johnson would follow the example of Stanley Baldwin, who quit immediately after his Queen’s Speech was defeated in 1924, the spokesman said: “The prime minister wants to get on with delivering both Brexit and his domestic agenda.”
Urging MPs to back the Queen’s Speech in a series of votes due around 5pm today, the PM’s spokesman said: “The PM is very clear that this is an ambitious legislative programme, and that parliament should get behind it and that MPs shouldn’t be sending a signal that if legislation were brought forward on serious violent criminals or on improving the NHS or on improving standards in our schools, that they would vote it down.”
Asked if it was still possible for the UK to leave the EU on 31 October with a deal, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “That’s absolutely what the PM wants to achieve, but at the same time, we have to recognise the fact that parliament has handed control of the timetable to the EU and we will wait to see what the EU says.”
What happens if Boris Johnson loses the Queen’s Speech vote?
As our political correspondent Benjamin Kentish writes, a prime minister staying in office having lost such a major vote would be unprecedented, but there is no prospect of Boris Johnson resigning.
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