Brexit Election: UK Government Mulls Election Options

Downing Street is prepared to look at other options should its plans for an election fail, a Number 10 source says.

The government will table a motion calling for a 12 December election on Monday, but this needs support from two-thirds of MPs.

However the Liberal Democrats and SNP want to introduce a bill that enshrines a 9 December election in law, subject to a Brexit extension to 31 January.

Earlier, Conservative MP James Cleverly dismissed this plan as a “gimmick”.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has called the move a “stunt”.

The Lib Dem-SNP bill amends the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 to include the date of 9 December as the next general election - this would come into force if the EU decides to extend the Brexit process to a date no earlier than 31 January.

BBC political correspondent Jessica Parker said it was significant as this method would only require a simple majority rather than the the two-thirds required to back the prime minister’s motion for an election on 12 December.

The Lib Dems have said the bill would remove the threat of any no-deal Brexit in the immediate future.

But with 35 SNP MPs and 19 Lib Dem MPs in the Commons, the success of their bill would require cross-party support.

EU ambassadors have agreed to delay Brexit, but will not make a decision on a new deadline date until next week.

As it stands, the UK is still due to leave the EU on Thursday.

A number 10 source said:

“Tomorrow MPs will vote on an election on 12 December so we can get a new Parliament.

“If Labour oppose being held to account by the people yet again, then we will look at all options to get Brexit done, including ideas similar to that proposed by other opposition parties.”

Speaking to the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, Mr Cleverly said of the Lib Dem-SNP bill: “It’s clearly a gimmick.

“Their bill moves the election date by three days, takes the withdrawal agreement completely off the table.”

He argued the government had put forward proposals for a general election first.

“What we’re not going to do is, we’re not going to listen to two parties who have explicitly said they want to stop Brexit from happening,” he said.