Boris Johnson declares Government will strike if Jeremy Corbyn refuses December 12 general election
BORIS Johnson last night declared his Government will go on strike if Jeremy Corbyn refuses a December 12 general election.
In a high stakes bid to end the crippling Brexit deadlock, the PM demanded Labour agree to hold the pre-Christmas nationwide poll.
If the Commons votes for it on Monday, Mr Johnson will reintroduce the landmark bill to pass his new EU deal that was derailed by MPs four days ago.
But within two hours of the threat, Labour bosses said Mr Corbyn would order his MPs to refuse.
The extraordinary stand-off tees up a titanic Parliamentary crisis next week.
Mr Johnson laid down the election gauntlet in an open letter to Mr Corbyn after summoning his Cabinet for an emergency meeting at 3pm yesterday afternoon.
'GET BREXIT DONE'
Boris tweeted: “I have written to Jeremy Corbyn.
“This Parliament must get Brexit done now or a NEW Parliament must get Brexit done so the country can move on”.
A spokesman for the PM added: “Nothing will come through Parliament but the bare minimum.
“We will pursue a general election every day from then onwards, and do everything we can to get it.”
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Mr Johnson set the dramatic new course after key EU leaders told him during phone calls that will set the new Brexit delay today (FRI) as a three month ‘flextension’.
That means Britain won’t leave until January 31 next year, unless the deal can be passed by Parliament sooner, with the earliest departure to be set at November 30.
Also yesterday during another day of Westminster drama;
- The Sun can reveal Scotland boss Nicola Sturgeon pleaded with Jeremy Corbyn to back a snap general election during a secret meeting.
- The Treasury last night cancelled the Budget on November 6 because of the crisis.
- Labour MPs predicted Government does now have a wafer thin majority for Boris’s new Brexit deal, with as many as 11 of them now ready to back it.
- The PM was boosted yesterday when the DUP agreed to help pass his Queen’s Speech, and the Commons agreed it by 310 v 294.
