PM BoJo Threatens Pre-Brexit Snap Election if Remainers Vote Against Government

Pro-European Union, (EU), anti-Brexit demonstrators wear masks featuring the EU flag outsi
DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty
Victoria Friedman

Remainer MPs will try to take over the House of Commons this week and pass a bill to stop the UK leaving the EU on October 31st in a no deal, and Boris Johnson has reportedly threatened an October 14th election if Tories defy him and thwart his Brexit plans.

MPs return to House of Commons today after their six-week recess, and if the Rebel Remain Alliance manages to take control of the order paper today, Johnson will call for a vote on a General Election, according to a senior government source speaking to the media.

On Monday, Europhile Labour MP Hilary Benn published the text of a bill that would make no deal Brexit illegal and force another extension of Article 50 until January 31st, 2020 — a third Brexit delay three and a half years since the vote to Leave.

Speaker John Bercow, who has recently come under fire for his perceived pro-EU bias, is expected to grant an emergency ‘Standing Order No. 24’ debate on Tuesday and allow a vote on the rebels taking over the House of Commons; if passed, the vote on stopping Brexit will likely happen on Wednesday.

There was speculation yesterday that a snap election was on the horizon as Tory rebels threaten to stop a clean Brexit, with Prime Minister Johnson having told his MPs that they face being kicked out of the party if they vote against the government.

Johnson attempted to quell rumours of a General Election by telling the nation he does not want another vote. However, The Telegraph reports a source saying that the prime minister announced calling for a snap election on October 14th if Parliament votes against Brexit today.

The source told the newspaper: “If MPs vote against the Government tonight they will effectively be handing Jeremy Corbyn control of the negotiations. So if Conservative MPs help to make no deal illegal, the Government’s position will be wrecked and in those circumstances what they would be voting for is a rapid election.

“The Prime Minister does not want an election, he wants four weeks of negotiations to get a deal, so if MPs vote for another pointless delay they will have to explain to people what they are doing.”

The next election is not officially scheduled until 2022 and under the Fixed Term Parliament Act, Johnson would need a two-thirds majority in the lower house to bring Britain back to the polls — meaning he would need Labour support.

While Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who backs a second referendum and Remain, said yesterday he would support a general election “under any circumstance, at any time”, former Prime Minister Tony Blair begged Labour to reject the plan, fearing that it would result in a “comfortable Tory majority” because he said the people fear a Corbyn government more than a clean Brexit.

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