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Brexit: No-deal opponents defeat government | Brexit: No-deal opponents defeat government |
(32 minutes later) | |
Tory rebels and opposition MPs have defeated the government in the first stage of their attempt to pass a law designed to prevent a no-deal Brexit. | Tory rebels and opposition MPs have defeated the government in the first stage of their attempt to pass a law designed to prevent a no-deal Brexit. |
The Commons voted 328 to 301 to take control of the agenda, meaning they can bring forward a bill seeking to delay the UK's exit date. | The Commons voted 328 to 301 to take control of the agenda, meaning they can bring forward a bill seeking to delay the UK's exit date. |
In response, Boris Johnson said he would bring forward a motion for an early general election. | |
Jeremy Corbyn said the bill should be passed before an election was held. | Jeremy Corbyn said the bill should be passed before an election was held. |
In total, 21 Tory MPs, including a number of ex-cabinet ministers, joined opposition parties to defeat the government. | |
The government warned in advance that it would remove the whip - effectively expel - any MPs who chose to vote against it. | |
The prime minister said the MPs' bill would "hand control" of Brexit negotiations to the EU and bring "more dither, more delay, more confusion". | |
He told MPs he had no choice but to press ahead with efforts to call an October election, adding: "The people of this country will have to choose." | |
The result means the MPs will be able to take control of Commons business on Wednesday. | |
That will give them the chance to introduce a cross-party bill which would force the prime minister to ask for Brexit to be delayed until 31 January, unless MPs approve a new deal, or vote in favour of a no-deal exit, by 19 October. | |
The BBC understands the government intends to hold an election on 15 October, two days before a crucial EU summit in Brussels. | |
To call an election under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, Mr Johnson would need support from Labour as he requires the backing of two-thirds of the UK's 650 MPs. | |
But Mr Corbyn said the legislation backed by opposition MPs and Tory rebels should pass before any election was held, to "take no deal off the table". | |
The BBC's chief political correspondent, Vicki Young, said the government was framing the situation as the Labour leader trying to block Brexit, and that would be its argument going into a general election. |