Boris Johnson will call General Election as MPs vote against government on Brexit
  • WORLD

  • 03:50 04 September 2019

Boris Johnson will call General Election as MPs vote against government on Brexit

Boris Johnson’s wafer-thin majority in Parliament vanished on Tuesday when rebel Tory MP Phillip Lee defected to the Liberal Democrats. The besieged Prime Minister looks all set to go to the country, APA reports quoting sputniknews.

Several Tory MPs have rebelled against the Prime Minister over Brexit and voted against the government in a crucial motion in Parliament.

MPs voted by 328 to 301 in support of a motion, put forward by Tory rebel Oliver Letwin, to take over the agenda in the House of Commons. It means they can now bring forward a bill on Wednesday that would force Mr Johnson to delay Brexit unless MPs back a new deal or vote for a no-deal Brexit.

Mr Johnson immediately said he would be seeking to call a general election on 14 October. 

Later, a spokesman said that conservatives who voted against UK government would be expelled from the party.

Under the Fixed Term Parliament Act the prime minister needs a two-thirds majority in Parliament if he is to call an election before 2022. It is unclear whether Labour will vote in favour of a general election, although Jeremy Corbyn has been baying for one.

ONA

Tags:

RELATED NEWS