The British government plans to table a motion to hold a general election on Oct. 14 if it's defeated by lawmakers opposed to a no-deal Brexit Tuesday, officials told British news outlets. Conservative members of parliament face expulsion from the ruling party if they vote against the government.
Why it matters: Prime Minister Boris Johnson was elected Conservative Party leader on the promise that he would deliver Brexit — with or without a deal. Rebel conservative lawmakers are joining forces with Labour to bring a bill designed to stop the United Kingdom from exiting the European Union on Oct. 31 without a deal, per the BBC.
WATCH LIVE: Prime Minister @BorisJohnson makes a statement in Downing Street https://t.co/L5K6MVJ38A
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) September 2, 2019
The state of play: The prime minister said in a televised address on Monday that he didn't want to call a general election, but if his government lost Tuesday's vote, it would "make any further negotiation absolutely impossible."
- Johnson would be surrendering his slender House of Commons majority of 1 by throwing rebel lawmakers out of his party.
The big picture: Most members of parliament oppose a no-deal Brexit. Lawmakers' power to stop a no-deal has been severely hampered by Johnson's move to suspend Parliament, which cut down on the amount of time it will be in session before Oct. 31.
- Education Minister Gavin Williamson told ITV’s "Good Morning Britain" on Monday it would be right to remove any lawmaker from the ruling Conservative Party's selection process if they vote against the government on Brexit.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
Go deeper: What Boris Johnson's suspension of Parliament means for Brexit
