The Government fell 135 votes short of the 434 needed (Picture: AFP)

The prime minister’s bid to hold a general election on 12 December has been defeated in the House of Commons.

MPs voted 299 to 70 in favour of holding the election, but it was 135 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed in favour of a snap election.

Mr Johnson is now expected to make a fresh attempt to drive legislation through the Commons which would only require a simple majority, and set aside the provisions of the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act (FTPA)

However, Mr Johnson said he would now come back with a ‘short’ Bill, setting aside the provisions of the FTPA which would require just a simple majority of 320 MPs.


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Mr Johnson insists he will push ahead with an election (Picture: AFP)

Mr Corbyn says he wants assurances that a no-deal Brexit is off the table, before agreeing to an election (Picture:PA)

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He said he would continue to press for a December 12 polling day – even though the Liberal Democrats and the SNP suggested at the weekend they could support a slightly earlier date of December 9.



Following the vote – which saw the Government fall 135 votes short of the 434 needed – Mr Johnson told MPs they had to end the deadlock over Brexit.

Mr Johnson said: ‘We will not allow this paralysis to continue.’

He added that the public would be ‘bewildered’ by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s refusal to commit to an election.

According to Downing Street, Mr Johnson’s Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) to implement Brexit would not be put back to MPs.

Following the vote, Jeremy Corbyn, who abstained on the FTPA motion, said he would want to scrutinise whatever the Government put forward.

He said it had to be clear that the Government could not force through a no-deal Brexit against the wishes of Parliament.

The Labour leader said: ‘We look forward to a clear, definitive decision that no deal is absolutely off the table and there is no danger of this Prime Minister not sticking to his word because he has some form on these matters.

However, with Labour MPs fiercely opposed to an election, shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald later indicated they were unlikely to change their position and back the Government.

He told Sky News: ‘I think it’s very unwise to be having a general election in the run-up to Christmas.

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While the Lib Dems did not rule out backing the Government, party leader Jo Swinson indicated that they would not accept the proposed December 12 election day.

The party joined with the SNP over the weekend in suggesting they would table a Bill for a December 9 election.

Ms Swinson said: ‘If Boris Johnson wants a general election, then he could have supported our Bill for a general election on December 9.

‘Instead, he has chosen to stick to his original plan for December 12 which we have already rejected.’

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