Bristol MPs have refused to back Boris Johnson’s call for an early general election after the Labour Party abstained on the crunch vote.
The Prime Minister lost his bid to call an election for 12 December, after 299 MPs voted for it and 70 against.
Under the fixed-term parliament act, a two-thirds majority in the House of Commons is needed for it to pass - so the majority was not met.
Thangam Debbonaire voted against the motion, while Karin Smyth, Darren Jones and Kerry McCarthy abstained from the vote.
Earlier on Monday, Bristol East MP Kerry McCarthy told Bristol Live her reasons for abstaining on the general election vote.
“From speaking to constituents, I really don’t think people want a Christmas election,” she said.
“I think one has to come soon, but local electoral registers aren’t ready, the nights will be cold and dark, people are busy with other things. It’s not a great exercise in democracy to do it this way.”
Following the vote, Mr Johnson said: “The leader of the opposition literally and figuratively has run away from judgment of the people.
“For the third time he has turned down our offer to get Brexit done.
“I think, frankly, that the electorate will find his behaviour utterly bewildering.
“One way or another we will proceed to an election.”
Following the defeat of the general election bid, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “I understand a bill will be tabled tomorrow. We will obviously look and scrutinise that bill and we look forward to a clear and definitive decision that no-deal is off the table.”
Downing Street's plan had originally been to call a one-line bill for a 9 December election in the event Monday's election bid failed, in order to get the Liberal Democrats and SNP on board.
A one-line bill for a general election requires only a simple majority of MPs to back it rather than the greater hurdle of two thirds.
However, a Downing Street source said it would introduce a one-line bill for its preferred date of 12 December rather than 9 December.
It is understood this is over concerns that the election bill would not get through both houses in time for parliament to be dissolved ahead of 9 December election, which would have to happen on Friday this week.
"The bill is very similar to the Lib Dem/SNP bill. The withdrawal agreement bill will not be put back," they said.
"This is the way to get Brexit done so the country can move on."
The source also said that the government would not put forward Mr Johnson’s Brexit bill for the time being.
“The Brexit bill, also known as the withdrawal agreement bill, was supported by MPs at its second reading in the House of Commons by 329 votes to 299 last week.”
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