Boris Johnson has declared he will launch a fresh bid to hold a general election on 12 December to "get Brexit done".

The prime minister is due to lay down his plan in the House of Commons on Monday - but he will need two-thirds of MPs to support it.

Labour said it will not back him until "no-deal Brexit is off the table".

Speaking after a meeting of senior cabinet ministers on Thursday, Mr Johnson vowed to act on MPs' concerns he had given them too little time to scrutinise the EU Withdrawal Bill, which writes into UK law the deal he secured with Brussels.

Image: The PM said political opponents should 'summon the nerve' to back a snap poll

"We are going to give them all the time they want, between now and the dissolution of parliament to do scrutiny," he said.


Under Mr Johnson's planned timetable, parliament would be dissolved on 6 November.

"We have had three years, we have been reasonable, if you want more time you can have it but we must all agree to go for an election on 12 December," Mr Johnson said.

That is the same date as the next gathering of EU leaders in Brussels, and would be the first December election since 1923.

'Take no deal off the table before election'

Mr Johnson said he had been governing "for a long time" without a majority - it is currently under minus 40 - and called on opposition parties to support the election proposal.

He added that it "looks as though" the EU will respond to his forced request to delay Brexit "by having an extension".

Labour, the Lib Dems and SNP have withheld their backing on a snap election for weeks, promising to vote for a snap poll when the imminent threat of no-deal is removed by the EU.

Mr Corbyn said: "Take no-deal off the table and we absolutely support a general election.

"I've been calling for an election ever since the last one because this country needs one to deal with all the social injustice issues - but no-deal must be taken off the table."

Plaid Cymru said they would not back it, while the Lib Dems reiterated their support for a second referendum.

Image: Two-thirds of MPs need to support the motion for it to pass

Jo Swinson said: "The Liberal Democrats will not support any election until it is clear that we can avoid crashing out with no deal, and that needs an extension from the EU."

During an interview in Downing Street, Mr Johnson said: "It's time, frankly, for the opposition to summon the nerve to submit themselves to the judgement of our collective boss, the people."

He added in a letter directly to Mr Corbyn: "It is our duty to end this nightmare and provide the country with a solution as soon as we reasonably can."

Jon Trickett, Labour's shadow Cabinet Office minister, said Mr Johnson "must now face the electorate", adding: "But this election will be about more than Brexit. It's about building a new country."

But shadow Commons leader Valerie Vaz said Labour would only back an election once no-deal was "ruled out" and if an as-yet unconfirmed extension from the EU "allows".

The SNP's constitution spokesperson Pete Wishart said his party would only back the election when a Brexit delay had been "secured" and added it "must be long enough to protect us from the cliff-edge of a no-deal Brexit".

A Treasury source confirmed that the Budget, which was planned for 6 November, would be postponed.

The source said: "Parliament has voted for a delay. We're calling for an election, so we won't be delivering the Budget on November 6."