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MPs reject 12 December election plan MPs reject 12 December election plan
(32 minutes later)
Boris Johnson is to try again for a 12 December general election after MPs rejected the plan. Boris Johnson is to try again for a 12 December general election - despite MPs rejecting his plan.
The prime minister will publish a short piece of legislation seeking the support of the Lib Dems and SNP for an election on that date. The prime minister will now publish a bill that would only need a simple majority to pass - not two thirds as required in previous attempts.
It came after he failed to secure the necessary support of two-thirds of MPs under the Fixed Terms Parliament Act. But he would still need support from Lib Dems and the SNP for it to pass.
"This House can no longer keep this country hostage," he told MPs, saying Parliament had become "dysfunctional". Mr Johnson told MPs Parliament was "dysfunctional" and could "no longer keep this country hostage".
The government comfortably won Monday's vote by 299 votes to 70 - after the Labour frontbench abstained. The Commons backed the government's election motion by 299 to 70 - well short of the two-thirds majority needed under the Fixed-Term Parliament Act.
However, it fell well short of getting the support of the 434 MPs it needed. All Conservative MPs backed the motion - but the vast majority of Labour MPs abstained.
But the PM said he would persist with his efforts to get an early election, telling MPs that "one way or another" the current deadlock had to be broken. Mr Johnson said he would persist with his efforts to get an early election, telling MPs that "one way or another" the current deadlock had to be broken.
The new legislation he is proposing would only require the support of a simple majority of MPs able to vote, which would be 320. The new legislation he is proposing would require a lower threshold for approval and, crucially, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP have suggested they might be prepared to support it.
The Lib Dems and SNP are offering to back an election on Monday, 9 December instead, which they say will prevent any chance of the PM's Brexit deal being approved in the short time before Parliament is dissolved. However, there are arguments over the date.
They have proposed their own short bill and it remains to be seen whether they will support the government's legislation, which No 10 has said will be "almost identical". The Lib Dems and SNP want Monday, 9 December, which they say will prevent any chance of the prime minister's Brexit deal being approved before Parliament is dissolved.
Negotiations between the two sides over a compromise date are reportedly taking place in Westminster. Parliament has to be dissolved a minimum of 25 working days before the date of an election to allow sufficient preparations to take place.
No 10 believes it would be very difficult for the election bill to pass through both the Commons and the Lords, and receive Royal Assent by 00:01 on Friday in order to meet the 9 December deadline.
A No 10 source said the government's bill would be "very similar" to the proposed by the Lib Dems and the SNP - but with the 12 December election date enshrined in law to reassure those who worry the PM could change his mind.
Negotiations between the two sides over a compromise are reportedly taking place in Westminster, although Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson has said, as it stands, she will not agree to the 12 December date.
'No trust''No trust'
The SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford said he did not "trust" the PM and he wanted reassurances from Mr Johnson would try to bring back his Brexit agreement back for approval. The SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford said he did not "trust" the PM and he wanted reassurances that Mr Johnson would not try to bring back his Brexit agreement - in the Withdrawal Agreement Bill - before dissolution.
Mr Johnson said they was not the support for the Withdrawal Agreement Bill - which has been in limbo since MPs last week rejected the PM's timetable to push it through the Commons by the now lapsed 31 October deadline. The bill has been in limbo since MPs last week rejected the PM's timetable to push it through the Commons in three days.
Following Monday's vote, Mr Johnson suggested the electorate would be "absolutely bewildered" by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's apparent resistance to an election. Mr Johnson told MPs voters would be "absolutely bewildered" by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's apparent resistance to an election.
But the Labour leader said he would only support an election once his conditions were met. But the Labour leader said he would only support an election once a no-deal Brexit had been taken off the table.
The one-line bill being proposed by the government could be amended by MPs, potentially to allow 16 and 17-year olds to vote. If that happened, the government could abandon the bill.The one-line bill being proposed by the government could be amended by MPs, potentially to allow 16 and 17-year olds to vote. If that happened, the government could abandon the bill.
Although the Lib Dems and SNP back the principle of reducing the voting age, Lib Dem leader Ms Swinson said stopping Brexit was the priority for younger voters. The Lib Dems and SNP back the principle of reducing the voting age.