BORIS Johnson has FINALLY won backing in the Commons for a Christmas election tonight as MPs voted for his plan to go to the polls on December 12.
Brits will be given the chance to give the PM a majority to push through his Brexit Bill by the New Year as they prepare to vote in a fresh Parliament in just six weeks’ time.
After Jeremy Corbyn’s MPs blocked a vote three times, they finally came out to back his plan tonight by 438 votes to 20.
Britain will now have a December election for the first time in nearly a century – after the Bill is rubber stamped in the House of Lords in the coming days.
MPs cheered the decision and insisted it would finally be their chance to end the gridlock which has paralysed Westminster for months.
Boris will pound the pavements to secure the majority he desperately needs to get Britain out of the EU as soon as he can.
And there will be several days after the vote for him to try and push the Bill back before a possible New Year’s exit.
He was confident that his message of “Get Brexit Done” will get through to the people.
When asked if he believes he can secure a majority, he said: “It will be a tough election and we are going to do the best we can.”
This afternoon the PM fought off a plot to move the election date back to December 9.
Several wrecking amendments to try and force votes for EU citizens and 16 year olds failed earlier this evening.
Unlike previous election votes it only needed half of MPs to back it, but at least two-thirds got behind it tonight anyway.
Parliament will be shut down from November 6 ready for the election to take place.
The latest poll from Opinium puts the Tories 16 points clear of Labour – setting them on course for a healthy majority with 40 per cent of the vote compared to 24 per cent.
But now Brexit has been officially delayed the Tories could lose a huge chunk of their support – as voters may feel Boris has betrayed them by not taking us out of the EU as he promised.
Mr Corbyn said after tonight’s vote: “We will now launch the most ambitious and radical campaign for real change that our country has ever seen.
“This is our chance to build a country for the many not the few.”
And Jo Swinson vowed if the Lib Dems win she vowed: “the first thing we will do is stop Brexit.”
Yesterday’s extension news means the PM’s “do or die” promise to leave the EU by October 31 has now been completely shattered.
Boris refused to resign for breaking his promise, or say sorry, despite saying he would rather be “dead in a ditch” than accept an extension.
It means Britain will be in the EU until January 31 now, or could leave sooner if a deal is passed before then.
By Sara
Read www.panafricreporters.com
