BORIS JOHNSON will call a vote on a general election today after MPs voted in favour of allowing a cross-party alliance to take control of the Commons agenda in a bid to block a no deal Brexit.
Brexit: MPs vote in favour of attempting to stop no-deal EU exit
Rebel Tories and opposition MPs succeeded in taking control of parliamentary business earlier this evening by by 328 votes to 301, giving them a majority of 27. On Wednesday, they will seek to pass a law forcing Boris Johnson to ask the EU to delay Brexit until January 31 unless he has a deal approved by parliament beforehand on the terms and manner of the exit. The Prime Minister said after the result was announced that it was “on the brink of wrecking any deal” with the EU.
The Prime Minister confirmed he was tabling a motion to call for an early general election on today.
He said: “The consequences of this vote tonight means that Parliament is on the brink of wrecking any deal that we might be able to get in Brussels.
“It will hand control of the negotiations to the EU.”
Mr Johnson added: “An election will be the only way to resolve this if MPs vote for a Brexit delay.”
Boris Johnson lost a key Commons vote
Philip Lee has defected to the Liberal Democrats
Mr Johnson also said: “If the house votes for the bill tomorrow, the public will have to choose who goes to Brussels to sort this out.
“We will leave on October 31 without a deal if needed.”
Mr Johnson also said opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn would accept whatever Brussels demand as he has been “begging” for an election for two years.
Mr Corbyn said Mr Johnson “should get the Brexit delay bill through first before trying to bring an election”.
Reports claim Mr Johnson could remove the whip from Sir Nicholas Soames
He said: “We do not have a presidency, we have a Prime Minister who governs with the consensus of the House of Commons representing the people within whom the sovereignty rests.
“There is no majority to leave without a deal within the country”.
Mr Corbyn called on Mr Johnson to put his Brexit plan to the people, if he has one.
Mr Johnson has been PM for just over a month
Jeremy Corbyn called for Mr Johnson to put his Brexit vote to the people
The division list showed there were 21 Conservative MPs who voted for the emergency debate motion.
The Conservative rebels who now face expulsion from the party include Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Britain’s World War Two leader Winston Churchill, and two former finance ministers – Philip Hammond and Kenneth Clarke.
But Labour MP Mary Creagh questioned whether Mr Johnson would follow through on his threat to remove the whip from rebel Tory MPs.
She tweeted: ”I simply do not think Johnson will deselect courageous @NSoames (Nicholas Soames),
Five key moments that lead to Britain voting to leave
Churchill’s grandson, from the Tory Party. Tonight’s vote shows that his bluff and bluster has fooled no-one.”
Boris Johnson earlier suggested he would try to call a snap general election if he was defeated, and has said the legislation would “destroy any chance” of negotiating an agreement.
It came after Mr Johnson’s working majority in the Commons was wiped out when former minister Phillip Lee dramatically defected to the Liberal Democrats.
A crowd of anti-Brexit protesters waiting outside Parliament erupted into cheers and applause as the result of the vote came in tonight.
Jo Swinson is the leader of the Liberal Democrats
Demonstrators played drums and one banged a saucepan as others jumped up and down and danced.
Others began to sing We Are The Champions, followed by a chant of “solidarity forever”.
Police officers rushed to come between the crowd and a small group of pro-Brexit protesters by College Green.
Shortly after the result of the vote was announced, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage tweeted: “I fear that we are rapidly headed towards a very dark place.”
Nigel Farage expressed concern at developments
Former Liberal Democrats leader Tim Farron tweeted: “It’s in the obvious interests of the Liberal Democrats to vote for a general election now… but to do so would lead to Britain dropping out with no deal and waste 6 of the next vital 8 weeks, so we will put the country first.”
Meanwhile, Liberal Democrats leader Jo Swinson tweeted: “The @LibDems, along with a majority of MPs in the House on Commons, have voted to take control of the order paper tomorrow. We look forward to voting for cross-party legislation to stop Boris Johnson’s plans for a No Deal exit on October 31st in their tracks.”