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Brexit: MPs begin debate on bill to allow December election - live news
Brexit: Boris Johnson fails in bid to limit debate as MPs start considering early election bill - live news
(32 minutes later)
Corbyn is wrapping up now. He says Labour is ready for this election. It wants to give people hope. He will go out there and give that message, whenever the election takes place.
If Sky’s Kate McCann is right, Labour backing votes at 16 and votes for EU nationals (see 2.46pm) will not make any difference because the amendments will not be called.
Three Labour-backed amendments set to be tabled (although other MPs will table more) 1. Changing election date to 9 December 2. Votes for EU nationals 3. Votes for 16/17 year olds. The last two are not expected to be ruled in order even though they have support.
Corbyn says Labour will be supporting votes at 16, and also supporting the right of EU nationals to vote in the general election. He says, if EU nationals have made their future in this country, they should have the right to vote here too.
In response to an intervention from a Scottish MP, Corbyn says the idea of making election day a public holiday, so as to increase turnout, is a good one.
He also says he favours extending the franchise to give 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote.
Jeremy Corbyn is responding to Johnson. He says he is looking forward to campaigning all over the country. And he says he will campaign against Johnson in Johnson’s constituency, Uxbridge and South Ruislip - if Johnson is still the candidate there.
Corbyn is referring to rumours that Johnson might switch to a safer seat.
Boris Johnson opened the debate. His speech was very like the one he delivered last night, although it also sounded as if he had written it before Labour confirmed that it wanted an early election.
I will post some quotes here an an update later.
How significant is the government defeat on the Stella Creasy amendment? (See 2.23pm.) At this point it is hard to tell. As ITV’s Robert Peston reports, government sources are saying that, if an amendment to the bill giving EU nationals the right to vote in the general election gets passed, the government will pull the bill, and the December election will not go ahead.
Government is now threatening to pull the general-election bill if Labour insists on amendment to enfranchise 3.4m EU citizens. It all gets crazier
Presumably the same would apply if an amendment were passed to give the vote to 16- and 17-year-olds - although enfranchising EU nationals would be easier, because they already can vote in local elections.
The fact that the Creasy amendment has been passed means that it is possible that amendments on these topics could now be put to a vote.
But we don’t know yet whether they will be put to a vote. The clerks would have to accept that they were “in scope” (ie, relevant to the subject of the bill). And the chair would have to decide to call such amendments (which is never a given).
Even if there are votes on these topics, it is not clear that they would pass. Opposition MPs would vote in favour, but the opposition is only winning votes at the moment with the support of the ex-Tory independents, and people in that camp tend not to be the sort of people who favour introducing major constitutional change in a rush.
And, finally, if Labour actually does want an early election – and this morning Jeremy Corbyn looked as if he did, although many of his colleagues obviously have their doubts – then it would make sense for the party to let these amendments fail.
We will find out later today. The final votes should take place at about 7.45pm.
Boris Johnson has lost the first vote. The Stella Creasy amendment has been passed by 312 votes to 295 - a majority of 17.
This means that, during the main debate, opposition amendments can be accepted.
The business motion as amended goes through on the nod.
From the official Labour whips Twitter account
From the official Labour whips Twitter account
MPs are currently voting on an amendment which would allow more than one amendment to be debated and voted upon at commuter stage. Pretty incredible the Govt are opposing this. Result by 14:20
MPs are currently voting on an amendment which would allow more than one amendment to be debated and voted upon at commuter stage. Pretty incredible the Govt are opposing this. Result by 14:20
MPs are now voting on Stella Creasy’s motion.
MPs are now voting on Stella Creasy’s motion.
If passed, this would ensure that during the main debate on the bill MPs can propose amendments in the usual way. Under the government’s plan, only amendments from the government would be put to a vote.
If passed, this would ensure that during the main debate on the bill MPs can propose amendments in the usual way. Under the government’s plan, only amendments from the government would be put to a vote.
Labour’s Stella Creasy is now moving her amendment. (See 11.20am.) She says the government has tried to rig the debate. That is because the programme motion takes away the right of the chair to select any amendment for debate. She says that is “not cricket”.
Labour’s Stella Creasy is now moving her amendment. (See 11.20am.) She says the government has tried to rig the debate. That is because the programme motion takes away the right of the chair to select any amendment for debate. She says that is “not cricket”.
If this programme motion is allowed to stand, it would set a precedent for future debates, she says.
If this programme motion is allowed to stand, it would set a precedent for future debates, she says.
She says if the bill is to pass, it should do so via fair play.
She says if the bill is to pass, it should do so via fair play.
The SNP’s Pete Wishart says, if Labour is going to oppose this programme motion, this bill might not progress.
The SNP’s Pete Wishart says, if Labour is going to oppose this programme motion, this bill might not progress.
He says Boris Johnson has failed to deliver his key promise to deliver Brexit by 31 October. He says the “Kippers” (Ukip supporters), Faragists and rightwing Tories must feel like mugs.
He says Boris Johnson has failed to deliver his key promise to deliver Brexit by 31 October. He says the “Kippers” (Ukip supporters), Faragists and rightwing Tories must feel like mugs.
He says a December election is not ideal. He says in parts of his constituency in December it gets dark at 3.30pm. But he says this is a risk worth taking for the sake of having an early election.
He says a December election is not ideal. He says in parts of his constituency in December it gets dark at 3.30pm. But he says this is a risk worth taking for the sake of having an early election.
Valerie Vaz, the shadow leader of the Commons, is now speaking. She criticises the way the government has introduced this bill, saying MPs have had very little time to implement it.
Valerie Vaz, the shadow leader of the Commons, is now speaking. She criticises the way the government has introduced this bill, saying MPs have had very little time to implement it.
She says the programme motion is “unacceptable” and deliberately designed to frustrate the Commons.
She says the programme motion is “unacceptable” and deliberately designed to frustrate the Commons.
Rees-Mogg says the government wants this bill to get royal assent by 5 November, so that the house can rise on 6 November. He says parliament also has to pass a budget for the Northern Ireland assembly before then.
He says this is a short bill, and that the business motion is routine. He says Stella Creasy’s amendment in itself would not wreck the bill, but it would be a “gateway to amendments that could seek to obstruct the bill”, he says.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the Commons, is now moving the business motion for the debate, which gets considered before the second reading debate starts.
John Bercow, the Speaker, announces that he will call Stella Creasy’s amendment to the business motion, which would block an attempt by the government to limit the ability of MPs to force votes on amendments to the bill. (See 11.20am.)
Bercow urges MPs not to spend too much time debating the business motion. He says the second reading vote must take place four hours from now.
John Bercow, the Speaker, is responding to the points of order.
He says this should be a matter for the candidates to replace him.
He says he has no desire to serve beyond Thursday evening.
But if people want him to stay on, he would be willing to, he suggests.
In the Commons John Bercow, the Speaker, is now taking points of order.
Bercow was due to stand down as Speaker on Thursday, with the election of the new Speaker scheduled for Monday.
But some MPs are now urging Bercow to stay in office until the end of this session, which will either be on Thursday, or on Monday or Tuesday next week, depending on what gets agreed as to the timing of an election.
Chris Bryant, who is one of the candidates to be the next Speaker, said now was not the right time to elect a new Speaker.
Newnight’s Nicholas Watt says it is not yet certain that the December election will go ahead. He explains:
Senior Labour figure tells me: don’t assume this election is definitely on. Big push by some Labour whips for party to vote against programme motion, hoping that Boris Johnson would pull the bill at that point
So it could be shades of last week and PM’s #brexit legislation if scenario sketched out by senior Labour figure comes to pass. Bill would secure its second reading and then come to a standstill if programme motion is voted down
There is an almighty battle going on in the Parliamentary Labour Party with many MPs opposed to December election. ‘Fingers crossed,’ one Labour MP tells me after learning of hopes that programme motion might be voted down
The problem for Labour MPs trying to block the election is the clarity with which Jeremy Corbyn endorsed a December election in his interview with my colleague Iain Watson in front of the shadow cabinet@iainjwatson @jeremycorbyn
We will find out shortly, because the debate on the programme motion is about to start.
Matt Hancock, the health secretary, that drug pricing would not be included in any trade deal with the US after Brexit. Responding to a reference to the Channel 4 Dispatches investigation saying that drug pricing has been discussed in talks between UK and US officials, Hancock said:
The NHS is off the table in trade talks and pharmaceutical pricing is off the table and transparency over pharmaceutical pricing would not benefit this country at all because we get the best deals in the world because we can keep them confidential.
Here is the Evening Standard’s take on Labour’s decision to back an early election. The Standard, of course, is edited by the former Tory chancellor George Osborne.
Today’s second edition @EveningStandard as Corbyn u-turns and backs December election pic.twitter.com/bzle3iGX4F
One of the joys of an election is the unexpected event that has the potential to derail campaign planning. The 2019 general election was only confirmed (effectively) about two hours ago, but Boris Johnson has already received his first election setback; in a surprise announcement, the Office for Budget Responsibility has announced that it plans to publish revised economic forecasts on 7 November.
Robert Chote, the OBR chair, has revealed this in an open letter to the Treasury (pdf).
Normally the OBR publishes revised economic forecasts twice a year, accompanying the budget and the spring/autumn statement (the timing of the budget determines which it is). Chote says the OBR started working on new forecasts when the Treasury announced a budget for 6 November. But that budget has been cancelled.
There were suspicions that one reason for the cancellation of the budget was that it would involve the government having to publish OBR figures showing that there was less scope for tax cuts and spending increases after the election than the Tories might like to admit. Chote does not address this point directly. But he says that, since the OBR last published a forecast in March, government borrowing has increased more than expected and there has been a “rapid growth” in public spending. He goes on:
Given the importance of these changes for public understanding of the baseline against which the government will need to judge its fiscal policy options, we believe that it would be useful to explain publicly the impact that they would have had on our March forecast, had they been known at the time.
If any of the parties are planning extravagant promises on tax and spending, the new OBR figures may cast extra doubt on their credibility.
But the OBR analysis is not likely to undermine the arguments in favour of Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal. One report (pdf) has argued it would be much worse for the economy than Theresa May’s deal over the long term. But Chote says that the OBR forecasts only cover a five-year horizon, and that the impact of the new deal, compared with the previous one, would be “relatively modest”.
Downing Street has set out its red lines ahead of the debate on calling a December election. In brief – the government seems open to a 10 or 11 December date, but is dead set against amendments extending the vote to 16- and 17-year-olds or EU nationals.
On the date, while the Lib Dem hope for a 9 December poll, Boris Johnson’s spokesman said this would require parliament to dissolve at the start of Friday this week, so as to allow the necessary 25 working days between dissolution and polling.
This would make it “very difficult” for both the election bill and a separate bill on budgets for the suspended Northern Ireland assembly to pass through the Commons and Lords and receive royal assent in time, the spokesman said.
Also, 9 December is a Monday, meaning election preparations would take place of the preceding weekend, which would be logistically difficult and costly, he added.
However, it seems the government could compromise on 10 or 11 December.
In contrast, there seems no possibility of compromise on adding younger voters or EU nationals, with Johnson’s spokesman saying that longstanding convention dictates that changes to the franchise only happen after extensive consultation. He said:
The election law on the franchise should not be changed days before the calling of a general election. The Electoral Commission warns against changing electoral laws less than six months before an election.
Adding 16- and 17-year-olds would be “administratively impossible to deliver in the time available”, he said, warning also that adding EU nationals would bring “administrative chaos”.
The latter point seems less certain given that EU nationals can already vote in local elections, and so many are registered.
But the No 10 spokesman added: “It would also mean EU nationals in the UK enjoying wider voting rights than UK nationals in any other country other than Ireland.”
These are from the Labour MP Barry Sheerman.
Sheer madness to hold a General Election in December & on Boris Johnson’s agenda!
I hear Labour frontbenchers & whips resigning over decision to vote for December election.
A clear majority of our Shadow cabinet were against a December election yesterday but Jeremy Corbyn has been persuaded to override them after interventions from Seamus Milne & Karie Murphy!
I’ve asked Labour if it can confirm or deny what Sheerman is saying about resignations, but have not had a reply yet.
