Labour slam Lib Dem plan for 9 December election as ‘opportunistic stunt’ as Tories call it ‘gimmick’

Labour have slammed the plan by the Lib Dems and the SNP to offer Boris Johnson a 9 December election as an “opportunistic stunt”.



The Tories meanwhile labelled it a “gimmick”, saying they won’t listen “to two parties who explicitly said they want to stop Brexit from happening”.

The comments come after Jo Swinson proposed a way round the need for the Prime Minister to get two-thirds of MPs to back his plan for an early election by amending the Fixed-Term Parliament Act.

But Shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth dismissed the idea, telling Sophy Ridge On Sunday: "I mean it's entirely ridiculous.

“It would need cross-party support to get through the House of Commons procedures and then it would be subject to all kinds of amendments, particularly when it gets into the House of Lords.

“It's just a stunt so the Lib Dems can get on the telly today."

And his shadow cabinet colleague Diane Abbott said: “We haven’t had the chance to discuss it with [Jo Swinson] or the SNP, we saw it about the same time that you saw it, we’ll discuss it with her.

"What is problematic about the bill is not necessarily the notion of an election on 9 December, it’s that the bill is calling on the EU to give us an extension.”

Speaking on BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show the Shadow Home Secretary added: "We can’t dictate to the EU what length of extension they want to give, we have to hear from them.”

And Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan echoed the claim it was a “stunt”, saying it prevents Boris Johnson from bringing his Brexit bill back to Parliament.

She told Sky News: “The Prime Minister has said we want to give time to the House of Commons to see if we can get the Withdrawal Bill agreed before we have an election.

“So actually what is different about the offer or the ‘stunt’ I might say by the SNP and the Lib Dems is they have made it clear that they have no intention of wanting Brexit to be done, no intention of wanting the Withdrawal Bill, which did get its second reading approved last week, to be considered by Parliament and they are saying go for an election.

“Now it may well be that an election is obviously going to happen and if the SNP and the Lib Dems want one they’ll have a chance to vote for one as quickly as tomorrow when the Government’s motion is voted on.”

And Conservative Party chair James Cleverly called the plans "a gimmick”, telling the BBC: "We put forward proposals for a general election first. But also the delivery of Brexit.

"And what we're not going to do, is we're not going to listen to two parties who explicitly said they want to stop Brexit from happening.

“We're not going to be complicit in them stopping Brexit from happening."

But a Number 10 source hinted they could look at backing a similar idea if MPs fail to back their motion for an early election on Monday.

They said: "If Labour oppose being held to account by the people yet again, then we will look at all options to get Brexit done including ideas similar to that proposed by other opposition parties.”