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| Brexit election: Government to 'look at options' | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Downing Street is prepared to look at other options should its plans for an election fail, a Number 10 source says. | 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. | 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". | |
| 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 bill would remove the threat of any no-deal Brexit in the immediate future. | |
| 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. | 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." | "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." |
| 'Cynical' | 'Cynical' |
| Speaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Cleverly said of the Lib Dem-SNP bill: "It's clearly a gimmick. | 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." | "Their bill moves the election date by three days, takes the withdrawal agreement completely off the table." |
| He said the government had put forward proposals for a general election first. | He said 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. | "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. |
| Mr Cleverly also said he was "cynical" as the bill would be amendable, meaning MPs can suggest changes to it and arguably prompting further delays. | |
| Asked about possible amendments to her proposed bill, Ms Swinson told the Andrew Marr Show that although any bill in Parliament can be amended, "the intention is very much that this is a simple bill that can be passed through Parliament quickly". | |
| She said the "time pressure" involved in securing a poll before their desired 31 January deadline meant the party would not pursue amendments such as votes for 16-year-olds to the bill. | She said the "time pressure" involved in securing a poll before their desired 31 January deadline meant the party would not pursue amendments such as votes for 16-year-olds to the bill. |
| Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan also dismissed the proposed bill from the Lib Dems and SNP as a "stunt" and said it would not change the government's decision to push for an election on 12 December. | |
| "If they want an election, they have a chance to vote for one tomorrow (Monday)," Ms Morgan told Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday. | |
| 'Grown-up government' | |
| Labour's shadow home secretary Diane Abbott told the BBC the party "haven't had the chance" to discuss the Lib Dem-SNP bill with the parties. | |
| But she said it was "problematic" because the bill is calling on the EU to give the UK an extension and specifies a duration and "we have to wait for them (the EU) to do that". | |
| And Labour's shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth called it an "opportunistic stunt" that is "entirely ridiculous" and would need cross-party support to pass. | |
| Speaking on Sophy Ridge on Sunday, former chancellor Philip Hammond confirmed he will vote against the government's plans calling for an election on 12 December, adding he would also not support the Lib Dem-SNP plan. | |
| Mr Hammond, who was expelled from the parliamentary Conservative Party after rebelling over their Brexit plans, said it was "a time for cool heads and grown-up government". | |
| "The key thing now is to get the deal properly scrutinised in Parliament - that doesn't mean delaying it by months, it means giving Parliament a few days, a couple of weeks, amend it if necessary and then we can make progress," he said. |