Day: October 28, 2019

    Downing Street has indicated it would back a plan by the Liberal Democrats to change the law in order to hold a December election if Labour refuses to back Boris Johnson’s motion on Monday for an early poll. A No 10 source attempted to put pressure on Labour to back its motion under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act for an election on 12 December, saying the government would turn to the Lib Dem plan as an alternative. Johnson needs Labour support to get a two-thirds majority for an election under current legislation, but Jeremy Corbyn is refusing to back one while the possibility of a no-deal Brexit is still alive. Over the weekend, the Lib Dems offered to help Johnson change the law to allow an election on 9 December, which would need only a simple majority in parlia...

    Boris Johnson's do or die pledge to leave the European Union this week was dead in a ditch today as EU leaders ruled on a Brexit extension until January 31. Following a meeting of ambassadors, European Council President Donald Tusk announced that EU leaders were accepting the delay of up to three months that was ordered by Parliament against the Prime Minister’s wishes. It could be shortened to November 30 or New Year’s Eve if a deal is passed before January. Downing Street responded by repeating Mr Johnson’s call for a general election on December 12 and called for a new Parliament willing to put his Brexit deal on the statute books. A No 10 source told the Evening Standard: We are going full-on for an election on December 12. The source said there was a brief w...