‘Revenge’ Election Called

The UK is heading for an election on December 12, following a series of votes in the House of Commons. The House of Lords must approve the move, but its backing seems almost certain, meaning the campaign for a pre-Christmas poll will formally begin within days. This followed hours of intense discussions and attempted amendments in the Commons, and a failed attempt by the opposition Labour Party to bring the vote forward to December 9.

When he first moved into Downing Street as prime minister, Boris Johnson was adamant that he did not want an election. But more recently he has effectively been daring the opposition parties to allow him to have one. This u-turn comes as a result of his inability to secure a majority for his Brexit plans and a desire to repopulate parliament with MPs who would vote for his deal by the new deadline of January 31. He hopes that a “get Brexit done” platform can deliver him the majority he needs.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn had been calling for a general election when Johnson first became prime minister. But he soon shifted position, blocking a vote until the government guaranteed that it wouldn’t take the UK out of the EU without a deal. Corbyn now says that this condition has effectively been met, at least for the time being, because the EU has granted a Brexit extension until January 31 2020.

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See Also:

(1) Polling guru John Curtice makes shocking prediction for 2019 General Election

(2) Election 2019: Brexit Party surge as Farage’s party almost rivals Tories in Express poll

(3) Commons erupts as Bercow forced to take over from Deputy Speaker in election vote shambles

(4) Varadkar on the brink: Fragile government teeters as calls for Irish election grow

(5) General election 2019: How to register, who can vote, what the open register is, and more

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