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Boris Johnson tonight threw down the gauntlet to Jeremy Corbyn as he challenged the Labour leader to back his bid for a general election on December 12 and vowed to hold a vote every day if they refuse.

Mr Johnson will hold a vote in the House of Commons on Monday on triggering a snap poll after telling Mr Corbyn the Brexit 'nightmare' cannot be allowed to continue.

But as Mr Corbyn refused to commit, Downing Street threatened to stage daily Commons votes on a snap election until he concedes, saying it would not let him 'hold the country hostage'.

A No 10 source said the Government would effectively go on strike by pulling all legislation, including the Withdrawal Agreement Bill, and instead 'campaign at every stage and at every opportunity for a General Election'.

The EU will make a decision tomorrow on how long to postpone Brexit for and the bloc is expected to push back the UK's departure date to January 31.

Mr Johnson believes such an extension is unacceptable and as a result he has told MPs that if they back an election he will make time available for them to scrutinise and vote on his Brexit deal.

But to succeed he needs the backing of two-thirds of MPs. Mr Corbyn, who has three times turned down the chance of an election, last night suggested he might bottle it again, meaning Mr Johnson will not get the 434 votes he needs.

The Liberal Democrats, SNP and Plaid Cymru also refused to support the plan, saying they – like Mr Corbyn – were waiting for the possibility of No Deal to be removed.

The Prime Minister challenged the Labour leader to 'end this nightmare' and 'summon up the nerve' to let Britain to have its say in a pre-Christmas vote

But as Mr Corbyn refused to commit, Downing Street threatened to stage daily Commons votes on a snap election until he concedes, saying it would not let him 'hold the country hostage'

MPs would effectively have until November 6 to pass the PM's Withdrawal Agreement Bill - the legislation needed to make an orderly Brexit happen - because at that point Parliament would dissolve in order for the election campaign to begin.

Will Christmas poll be a Turkey? Cold weather, nativity plays and booked-up church halls are among the many challenges facing a Christmas election. Boris Johnson’s plan to go to the polls on December 12 could hinder campaigning and voter turnout due to limited daylight hours and clashes with office parties. And the snap poll will be a cause for concern for the superstitious among us – as the result will be announced on unlucky Friday 13. The Tories may also be more likely to suffer from a December election, since the cold disproportionately affects older voter turnout, a key demographic for the party. The December poll could also cause confusion and delays as officials will be forced to use two different electoral registers to manage voting. The electoral roll is updated annually on December 1, but polling cards would need to be sent out in November – meaning polling card numbers might not correspond to the new list. The last Christmas election was called by Stanley Baldwin in 1923, resulting in a hung parliament and eventual defeat for the Tories. Advertisement

Number 10 believes that its offer will allow MPs to 'get Brexit done' if they are serious about actually doing so while the election would act as the ultimate protection against unending parliamentary delay.

Should MPs fail to agree the deal by November 6, Mr Johnson would then fight the election on a pledge to pass his deal as soon as possible - if he wins a majority - and allow the UK to finally 'move on'.

All attention is now on Mr Corbyn and whether he will sign up to Mr Johnson's proposed way forward.

This evening the Labour leader left open the possibility of backing the election but said it would depend entirely on what the EU offers.

'Tomorrow the European Union will decide whether there's going to be an extension or not,' he said.

'That extension will obviously encompass whether there's a No Deal or not. Let's find that out tomorrow.'

Pressed on whether there was a chance he could back an election on Monday, he replied: 'The principle is: take No Deal off the table, EU answer tomorrow, then we can decide.'

Despite Mr Corbyn appearing to keep his powder dry in his remarks, it was claimed tonight that Labour MPs could be ordered to abstain on Monday's vote.

That would likely scupper Mr Johnson's hopes of an election because he would almost certainly fall short of the 434 MPs he needs to trigger a poll.

Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock (left) and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps (right) arrive at Downing Street in the rain

The Labour party is hopelessly split on whether a poll should take place before Brexit is resolved with many MPs terrified that Mr Corbyn's plan to stay neutral on the issue would see them get obliterated at the ballot box.

The growing political uncertainty over Brexit prompted the government to cancel the Budget which had been scheduled to take place on November 6.

Boris Johnson's proposed timetable to a December election Friday October 25: The EU is expected to reveal the length of Brexit delay it will offer the UK. In his letter to Jeremy Corbyn Boris Johnson said he expects it to offer the full three months requested last weekend. Next week: The Government will table a motion under the Fixed Term Parliament Act (FTPA) requesting a general election. No date has to be given but he has suggested December 12. Monday October 28 - November 6: MPs and peers get 'all possible time' to debate and vote on the Withdrawal Agreement Bill that he halted after being defeated in a vote on Saturday, with the idea being that a deal is signed, sealed and delivered by that day. November 7: Parliament is dissolved for a five-week general election campaign. Mr Johnson will be hoping that he goes into that campaign with a settled Brexit deal with which to woo weary voters. December 12: A general election is held. Advertisement

Mr Johnson set out his plans to hold an early election after he convened a crisis Cabinet meeting in Number 10 this afternoon.

He told the BBC: 'The way to get this done, the way to get Brexit done, is I think to be reasonable with Parliament and say if they genuinely want more time to study this excellent deal they can have it but they have to agree to a general election on December 12.'

Under Mr Johnson's blueprint he would give MPs just over a week to scrutinise and vote on his deal if they support holding an early election.

But he sounded a sceptical note as he said he believed that all Parliament will do is 'waste more time'.

In a letter to Mr Corbyn setting out his proposals, the PM said: 'If the EU offers the delay that Parliament has requested - that is, we must stay in until 31 January - then it is clear that there must be an election.

'We cannot risk further paralysis. In these circumstances, the Commons will vote next week on whether to hold an election on December 12.

'This would mean that Parliament would dissolve just after midnight on 6 November.'

Mr Johnson told Mr Corbyn he believed it was their 'duty to end this nightmare and provide the country with a solution as soon as we reasonably can'.

The PM said it would be his 'preference' for the EU to offer a short Brexit delay to November 15 or November 30 and that in those circumstances he hoped Labour would help him get his accord through the Commons.

But he suggested a longer delay was more likely and as a result he said that if Labour backs a snap poll then the government 'will make available all possible time between now and 6 November' for key Brexit legislation to be passed.

Boris Johnson today challenged Jeremy Corbyn to back his bid for a general election on December 12 - and said he would give MPs the chance to get Brexit over the line first

Mr Johnson laid down the gauntlet to Mr Corbyn in a letter sent to the Labour leader this evening

Mr Corbyn responded by saying he would wait to see exactly what is offered by the EU in terms of a Brexit delay tomorrow before making a final decision on whether to back an election

How will each party vote holding an early election? Here is where each of the major political parties stand on a pre-Christmas polling date: - Conservative Party Mr Johnson has requested an election twice already and has now pressed again following MPs' decision to vote down his high-speed timetable for his Withdrawal Agreement Bill on Tuesday. In the wake of that defeat and following a meeting with his Cabinet, the PM said he would give MPs 'more time' to debate the Brexit deal but on condition they 'agree to a general election on December 12' when it goes to a Commons vote. Not all Tories are sold on the idea, however. Tories north of the border are anxious about campaigning in Remain-voting Scotland before Brexit is delivered and where it will be dark by 3pm and accompanied by plummeting temperatures. Senior backbenchers such as David Lidington and Damian Green, both former de facto deputies to Theresa May when she was PM, used interviews on Thursday to call for Mr Johnson to focus on delivering his Brexit deal instead. - Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn's team have briefed that they would agree to an election 'as soon as the risk of a no-deal crash out is taken off the table'. The EU are likely to announce its decision on an extension on Friday. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell told reporters on Thursday that Labour - with its 245 MPs - was ready for an election 'whenever it comes'. In interviews, shadow cabinet ministers have been pointing out that there is currently not sufficient support for a second referendum on Europe but pro-EU backbenchers have said an election should not be about a 'binary issue' such as Brexit. - SNP Party leader Nicola Sturgeon has not minced her words on the issue of a pre-Christmas election, seemingly not agreeing with Tory complaints that a winter campaign could be a hard slog in Scotland. Her 35 MPs could be about to back an election motion after the First Minister told journalists in Westminster: 'If there is an extension nailed down, then the right next move is to put this issue back to the electorate. 'I would be very happy to see that general election before Christmas.' - Liberal Democrats The pro-EU party has long said its preference is to secure another referendum on Brexit. But the Lib Dems, with 19 MPs, has said it would vote for an election as long as the Halloween exit deadline is safely shifted into the future. A Lib Dem spokesman said: 'As for a general election, we would not support one until an extension to Article 50 was confirmed. Once it's been agreed, we would.' - DUP Film buffs will all have heard of 12 Angry Men but the DUP make up the 10 Angry MPs group at the moment, following Boris Johnson's Brexit deal concessions on Northern Ireland. Sammy Wilson, the party's Brexit spokesman, has indicated that the unionists could support an election in a bid to secure better terms with the EU. Speaking last week, he said: 'I believe, with a big majority, (the PM) can be more robust in his negotiations.' - Plaid Cymru The pro-independence party for Wales, which has four MPs in Westminster, does not see an election changing what it regards to be the fundamentals of the Brexit debate - even with an EU extension. 'Our priority remains delivering a final say referendum, rather than an election, as the clearest way to end the Brexit chaos,' said a Plaid spokesman. - Green Party Another pro-second referendum outfit, the party would prefer to give the public a final say on the Brexit deal. But given they have appointed a new head of communications this week suggests the leadership is gearing up for a fight to win its much sought after second parliamentary seat. Advertisement

He even raised the prospect of the Commons sitting on Fridays, weekends and with early starts and late finishes.

But he added: 'If Parliament refuses to take this chance and fails to ratify by the end of 6 November, as I fear it will, then the issue will have to be resolved by a new Parliament.

'An election on 12 December will allow a new Parliament and government to be in place by Christmas.

'If I win a majority in this election, we will then ratify the great new deal that I have negotiated, get Brexit done in January and the country will move on.'

Mr Johnson ended the letter, also sent to other Westminster leaders, by claiming 'Parliament has refused to take decisions' and that it 'cannot refuse to let voters replace it with a new Parliament that can make decisions'.

Addressing Mr Corbyn directly, he said: 'You have repeatedly said that once the EU accepts Parliament's request for a delay until 31 January then you would immediately support an election.

'I assume this remains your position and therefore you will support an election next week so the voters can replace this broken Parliament.'

The EU is expected to announce its decision on the terms of a Brexit delay tomorrow.

Downing Street believes that the bloc will offer a three month extension - the one requested by Parliament in the anti-No Deal Benn Act - and if that happens the ball will be entirely in Labour's court.

In order to win a vote on holding a general election Mr Johnson will need to secure the support of two thirds of MPs.

Mr Corbyn did not respond to the election announcement immediately after it was made despite the fact he was in the Commons at the time after MPs narrowly voted in favour of Mr Johnson's Queen's Speech.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Commons Leader, outlined the PM's plan to MPs as he said that the government was serious about making more time available to scrutinise the PM's deal if they back an election.

He said: 'We are willing to start work tomorrow if you're willing recall Parliament. We are willing 24-hours a day between now and November 6.'

Shadow Commons leader Valerie Vaz said the party 'will back an election once No Deal is ruled out'.

Jo Swinson, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, said her party would not back an election until it was clear a No Deal Brexit had been ruled out.

'Boris Johnson is trying to distract from his Government's failure,' she said.

'He has missed his do-or-die deadline and is now demanding that Parliament give him a general election and the time to ram through his Bill without proper scrutiny.

'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.'

Assuming that the EU offers a three month delay then No Deal will theoretically be off the table and there should be no barrier to Mr Corbyn backing Mr Johnson's call.

However, even if he does support an election it is unclear whether the Labour leader's MPs will obey him because there is growing opposition in the party about agreeing to an early election.

Many Labour backbenchers fear the party will get decimated at an election if it sticks to its current policy of staying neutral on Brexit.

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson's decision to pivot towards an election is unlikely to go down well with many of his Tory colleagues.

He was warned today by some Conservative backbenchers that an early election would see the Tories 'stuffed like Christmas turkeys'.

Many Tory MPs fear that the party could lose seats in Scotland and London if a vote is held now, because of strong support for Remain in those areas as Mr Johnson pushes for Brexit.

Some Tory backbenchers are deeply sceptical that the Conservatives will be able to win a majority at a snap poll – a point they have conveyed to Number 10.

One Conservative MP told MailOnline: 'There is not unalloyed enthusiasm on Tory benches for a general election. That has been fed in.'

Meanwhile a Tory source was even more downbeat as they said: 'If we go early we'll be stuffed like Christmas turkeys.'

However, party chairman James Cleverly this morning said: 'I don't want to be the Grinch.

'But the point is democracy is incredibly important and we have been prevented on discharging the duty imposed upon us.'

Government cancels post-Brexit Budget due to delay The Government tonight confirmed that a Buidget planned for November 6 would now not be going ahead. The fiscal address by Chancellor Sajid Javid was due to take place on the assumption that the UK had left the EU with a deal on October 31. But with a delay now all but guaranteed, the plug has been pulled on the set piece speech. A Treasury 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.' Advertisement

Many Tory MPs fear the party's hardline approach to Brexit could cost it seats in Scotland and in London and it is not clear where gains could be made.

A Cabinet minister told The Sun: 'We'll lose seats in Scotland and London if it's all about Brexit, and I can't see where we'll pick them up.

Even if Mr Johnson does decide to press for an early election there is no guarantee that he will succeed.

Veteran left-winger Mr Corbyn has vowed to support the PM's call for a poll as soon as No Deal Brexit has been taken off the table.

But two-thirds of the Commons - 434 MPs - is needed to approve an early election.

And the 'nightmare' scenario of the party disintegrating emerged as big beasts Sir Keir Starmer, Emily Thornberry and John McDonnell, who have previously resisted the idea of an early election, stayed ominously silent on the subject.

However Labour HQ has sent out a string of loyalists in recent days to play up the chances of the party backing an early election.

MPs voted narrowly in favour of Mr Johnson's Queen's Speech this afternoon

Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Commons Leader, then set out the PM's plans to hold an early election

Jeremy Corbyn was pictured leaving the House of Commons as Mr Rees-Mogg made his remarks

Doanld Tusk, the president of the European Council pictured in Strasbourg yesterday, is expected to deliver the EU's verdict on the length of a Brexit delay tomorrow

This morning Rebecca Long-Bailey, seen as a potential successor to the 70-year-old opposition leader, said that such a move was Labour's 'position' in a radio interview this morning.

Asked on the BBC's Today programme if Labour would vote for a general election as soon as the Prime Minister asks for one after the EU grants an extension, the shadow business secretary said: 'That's our position.

'But we also want the Prime Minister to look at the compromise that's been offered that a lot of MPs support, and that's the ability to be able to properly scrutinise the Bill.'

But John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, today appeared to cast doubt on the party's desire for an election as he suggested he wanted Mr Johnson to bring back his deal to the Commons for further scrutiny - even though Labour is opposed to it.

The 'Grinches' who stole Christmas? Schools could be asked to reschedule their NATIVITY plays to make way for polling stations Schools could be asked to reschedule their nativity plays so that schools can be used as polling booths for a pre-Christmas general election, it emerged today. Downing Street wants to go to the polls in December in the hope of getting a majority for a Brexit deal as soon as possible. But Boris Johnson has been warned of the logistical problems a winter election could bring, including the need for external lighting at polling booths and contingency plans for bad weather, the Times reported. Tory Party chairman James Cleverly told the BBC's Today programme this morning: 'I don't want to be the Grinch. 'But the point is democracy is incredibly important and we have been prevented on discharging the duty imposed upon us.' Advertisement

'We're in the process at the moment of trying to see whether or not this compromise we've offered to Boris Johnson will enable him to bring forward a proper programme motion (timetable),' he said.

It came after senior party figures told MailOnline that Mr Corbyn might not carry enough MPs to help Boris Johnson force a snap election even if he tries.

Frontbenchers fear that the scale of the rebellion by 'scared'' Labour MPs - many of whom are determined to hold a second referendum to cancel Brexit - would be so great that the motion will still be defeated.

Parliament effectively handed the EU control over the UK's destiny by voting down the PM's fast-track timetable for the Brexit Bill earlier this week.

That decision killed off the chances of the crucial legislation being passed in time for the October 31 deadline - and left Mr Johnson waiting to hear what extension Brussels will offer.

Despite protests from the premier, the Remainer Benn Act meant he was forced to send a letter on Parliament's behalf begging for a postponement at the weekend.

The bloc is not expected to give its verdict until tomorrow, with business at Westminster stalled.

Mr Johnson has insisted that if the EU offers a long extension he will go full-throttle for a snap election.

But he has already failed twice to get support for a ballot in the Commons, as Labour argued that the threat of an accidental No Deal was too serious.

In theory, Mr Corbyn's 245 MPs should be more than enough to reach the two-thirds threshold, when combined with 288 Tories, 35 SNP and 19 Lib Dems.

Just 100 Labour should be enough to guarantee the motion's success, but doubts have been raised over whether that would be possible. A recent meeting of the Parliamentary party was said to be 'unanimous' in saying that a second referendum must come before an election.

One shadow Cabinet minister told MailOnline: 'It is awful. He could try, but he probably won't have the numbers to get it over the line anyway.

'It just doesn't stack up.'

The shadow minister predicted that the leadership will wait till the last possible moment and hope events save them from having to make a decision.

'In principle an Opposition should always be wanting to face the electorate. That is pretty much our only reason for being.

'But a lot of people are scared of what will happen. Splitting the party that badly would be the nightmare.

'What is our excuse for not wanting an election? Once we have the extension, what are we going to say?'

The failure of another early election motion next week would take the turmoil at Westminster to a whole new level.