This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/29/world/europe/brexit-election-corbyn.html

The article has changed 14 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Jeremy Corbyn Says Labour Will Back Early U.K. Election Jeremy Corbyn Says Labour Will Back Early U.K. Election
(32 minutes later)
LONDON — Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party, said on Tuesday that he would support an early general election, most likely paving the way for a vote in December. LONDON — Britain looked headed for a December general election after the opposition Labour Party on Tuesday said that it was ready to support an early vote — just hours before lawmakers are scheduled to debate a plan for one from Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Mr. Corbyn made the announcement during a meeting of his leadership team, setting the stage for a general election to be held as the country prepares for its departure from the European Union. The shift makes it much more likely that Mr. Johnson would receive the backing he needs from Parliament on Tuesday for a Dec. 12 election, a contest that would effectively throw the question of what to do about Brexit back to the people.
“We will now launch the most ambitious and radical campaign for real change our country has ever seen,” Mr. Corbyn said in a statement. “This is a once in a generation chance to build a country for the many, not the few. It’s time.” On Monday the Labour Party opposed an early election, depriving Mr. Johnson of the votes he needed and thwarting his third attempt to secure one. But on Tuesday the party’s leader, Jeremy Corbyn, signaled a significant shift when he addressed his top team, the shadow cabinet.
It was unclear whether there were any unresolved issues, such as the exact date, that would prevent an election from becoming a certainty. Mr. Corbyn explained his change by saying that his primary condition for supporting an election had been fulfilled on Monday when the European Union granted Britain its latest Brexit extension, until Jan. 31, and Mr. Johnson then formalized it, removing the possibility that Britain would exit the European Union without a deal before an election could take place.
Mr. Corbyn, at a news conference, said the party’s key condition for supporting an early election — that the possibility of Britain’s exiting the European Union without a deal should be removed — had now been met, and that he was looking forward to a campaign. “I have consistently said that we are ready for an election and our support is subject to a no-deal Brexit being taken off the table,” Mr. Corbyn said in comments released by his office, adding that this condition “has now been met.”
“We will now launch the most ambitious and radical campaign for real change our country has ever seen,” Mr. Corbyn added.
If Mr. Johnson wins the vote later on Tuesday, a new election could break the deadlock that has left Britain’s politics paralyzed in the divisive aftermath of the 2016 referendum to leave the European Union.
Labour had been under pressure because two smaller opposition parties, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party, seemed ready to support Mr. Johnson’s bid for an early vote.
But it was still unclear whether Mr. Johnson’s plan would succeed Tuesday evening. The smaller opposition parties object to his proposed election date of Dec. 12., preferring an earlier vote. There is also the possibility that Mr. Johnson’s proposal could be amended, perhaps to provide votes for European Union nationals living in Britain — something the government would be unlikely to accept.
But on Tuesday, Mr. Johnson only needs a simple majority of lawmakers to support his plan. The other two opposition parties could have given him enough votes without Labour.
On Monday, Mr. Johnson failed in his third attempt to secure a general election because, under the mechanism he chose then, he required a two-thirds majority — something he failed to attain.
Mr. Corbyn did not say outright that he planned to support the government’s latest proposal, but at a news conference, he reiterated that his party’s key condition for supporting an early election had now been met, and that he was looking forward to a campaign.
“We are now going to be out on the streets for six weeks — it’s going to be fun,” he said, surrounded by members of his party. “And I just had a weather forecast, it’s going to be good weather.”“We are now going to be out on the streets for six weeks — it’s going to be fun,” he said, surrounded by members of his party. “And I just had a weather forecast, it’s going to be good weather.”
He did not say outright that he planned to support a government bill that would bring about an early election. Parliament decides on the matter later Tuesday. Megan Specia contributed reporting.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson lost a vote on the issue on Monday, when Mr. Corbyn’s party refused to back a motion for a Dec. 12 general election, denying the government the two-thirds majority required under British electoral law.
Mr. Johnson immediately announced plans to introduce a bill to get around that requirement, so that approval for the general election would only need a simple majority vote in Parliament.
On Monday, the European Union extended the deadline for Britain’s departure from the bloc by three months, pushing the date back from Oct. 31 to Jan. 31. Mr. Johnson formalized the extension, clearing the way for his plans to call for a general election, something he has been angling for since taking office in July.