Boris Johnson will attempt to trigger a general election on Monday, October 14 – if MPs vote to stop a no-deal Brexit.
The Tory prime minister appeared on the steps of No.10 Downing Street for a dramatic 6pm statement to ramp up pressure on rebel Tories threatening to vote against the Government.
After summoning ministers to an emergency cabinet meeting and addressing a gathering of Tory MPs, Johnson took another step towards the general election that all the political parties are preparing for.
With expectations of a snap election at fever pitch, Nicola Sturgeon tweeted “bring it on” for an election date that would land in the middle of the SNP’s annual conference. Jeremy Corbyn said Labour was up for the fight.
Corbyn said: “We are ready for a general election, which will be a once-in-a-generation chance for a real change of direction for our country.”
If he is defeated in the Commons this week, Johnson could push for a general election by Wednesday.
Amid chants of “stop the coup” from protesters in Whitehall, the man who has been PM for 41 days took the high-risk strategy of showing he is willing to trigger an election with only Brexit on the agenda.
He said he wanted to get on with delivering a deal but that the Commons could wreck the talks with “another pointless delay”. He said: “I don’t want an election, you don’t want an election.”
But having threatened Tory rebels with expulsion from the party, he made it clear if they backed Corbyn an election is effectively what they would be voting for.
A senior Government source said No.10 is planning to publish the text of a draft motion today to trigger a general election on Monday, October 14. It would be the first UK general election since 1931 not to be held on a Thursday.
The date would mean a new government in place ahead of the meeting with EU leaders on October 17 – two weeks before the Brexit deadline.
The senior Government official spelled out the consequences for Tory MPs.
He said: “Handing Corbyn control of the negotiations will be essentially shooting ourselves in the foot. The Government’s negotiating position will be wrecked. What MPs will be voting for is to hold a rapid election.”
The motion, which needs a two-thirds majority under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act, will be formally tabled on Wednesday but only if MPs vote today to take control of the Commons order paper – the first step to blocking no-deal Brexit.
Up to 20 remainer Tory MPs allied with Labour and the SNP will attempt to seize control of the Commons today and on Wednesday dash through a law that would extend Article 50 to January 31, 2020, with the EU’s agreement, and roll over the date unless there’s a deal.
If it passes all the parliamentary hurdles, the move would deny Johnson the threat of leaving the EU without a deal.
MPs only have a few days back in Parliament to pass a no-deal Bill before Johnson shuts the place down again until the middle of October.
Yesterday, the PM told allies he feared an ambush by Remain rebels and made an appeal to MPs not to “bind his hands” in talks with EU leaders next month.
No.10 strategists believe Brussels will only take Johnson seriously if the options are a fresh deal on the Northern Irish backstop or a no-deal departure.
A leaked Cabinet briefing said: “The EU will only get down to serious talks when they know they have to face the choice between a deal or no deal, with the third option of extension/referendum/ revocation definitively ruled out.”
But senior Tory rebels showed no sign of backing down. Former chancellor Philip Hammond wrote to Johnson challenging him to give details of what the Government is doing to negotiate an alternative to the backstop with the EU.
Hammond and 21 other Tory remainers had hoped to discuss the Government’s Brexit strategy with Johnson yesterday but their meeting was cancelled. They are determined to vote against a no-deal Brexit even if Johnson withdraws the Tory whip and splinters the parliamentary party.
His threat of a staging a Brexit election depends on parliamentary votes too.
Under the fixed-term parliament act, two-thirds of MPs must vote for it.
Labour votes for general election are not a given, with many senior party figures consigned to the backbenches by Corbyn saying they would oppose a motion to dissolve parliament, even if Labour whips them to support it.
Former prime minister Tony Blair warned Labour could “struggle” at any poll held before the Brexit issue was “resolved” and said some voters “may fear a Corbyn premiership more” than a no-deal scenario.
But in a speech in Salford, Corbyn said an election was the “democratic way forward” and “would give the people a choice between two very different directions”.
Some remain MPs warned that the promise of an election is a trap Johnson could then use to force through a no-deal Brexit by moving polling day to after October 31 under prerogative proclamation powers.
No.10 last night said that was not their agenda at all and that their motion would have the October 14 date published on it.
Attention now turns to the crucial vote today as a cross-party alliance of remainers seeks to gain control of the parliamentary agenda to introduce a Bill ruling out a no-deal Brexit.
Stephen Gethins, the SNP’s Europe spokesman, urged MPs to back the move.
He said: “The Bill seeks to ensure that the Prime Minister does not railroad ahead with his reckless ‘do or die’ extreme Brexit plans, and instead aims to rule out a no-deal exit – which Parliament has already rejected.
“We will do everything we can to stop Brexit, which we know will leave us all poorer and worse off.”
