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Boris Johnson’s bid for snap
election
4 September, 2019
PM Boris Johnson's attempt to trigger a general election has been thwarted by British MPs after he failed to achieve the two-thirds majority required in a vote in the UK parliament on Wednesday night.
The defeat in the House of Commons saw Johnson’s Tory government fail to reach the 434 threshold required with only 298 MPs supporting the early election motion and 56 lawmakers voting against it.
The Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party (SNP) all appear to have abstained from the vote.
Johnson reacted by saying that Corbyn is now "the first leader of the opposition in the democratic history of our country to refuse the invitation of an election." He claimed that reason was because he "does not think he can win."
Corbyn earlier said that his party will back an election only after a ‘no-deal’ is completely ruled out.
It completes a disastrous night for the British prime minister after rebel MPs earlier sealed victory on new legislation at the third and final stage that compels Johnson to seek a three-month extension to Article 50 from Brussels to stop a ‘no-deal’ Brexit on October 31.
The ‘no-deal’ Brexit blocking bill now passes on to the Lords for debate, where it is expected to be voted through on Friday before going to the Queen for royal assent.
Meanwhile, a heated debate has erupted whether Labour’s Wednesday move was a strategically correct one.
“There are those who will way say Labour’s move is a shrewd strategy. But having called repeatedly for an election for the last two years it doesn’t look good that when they finally get the chance of one they turn it down,” journalist Neil Clark told RT.
Labour’s decision to prioritize stopping a ‘no-deal’ over trying to get into power as soon as possible “will cost them dearly when an election does come,” Clark said.
Live commentary from RT HERE
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