Behind the scenes in Downing Street, a battle is raging between Boris Johnson’s chief aide Dominic Cummings, other senior Number 10 officials, and Conservative ministers and MPs over what to do now that his attempt to crash his Brexit legislation through Parliament has failed.



Talks on Wednesday morning between Johnson and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, their respective chief whips Mark Spencer and Nick Brown, and their senior aides Cummings and Seumas Milne did not provide clarity.

For the moment, the government is waiting for European Union leaders to decide on the length of the Brexit delay they are about to grant the UK.

The EU could offer a “flextension” until Jan. 31, 2020, in line with the request letter sent by Johnson on Saturday. This would mean the UK could leave before that date if it passed a Brexit deal in Parliament, or Johnson could use the time to call a general election. It is the preferred option of the European Council president Donald Tusk.

Alternatively, Brussels could decide on a shorter extension to give Johnson another chance to rush through his withdrawal agreement bill in the next few weeks, with a longer extension for an election then offered if he fails. French president Emmanuel Macron has indicated that he favours this approach.

In Downing Street, senior Tories are at war over how to respond if, as they expect, the EU grants an extension long enough that the political decision between an election or proceeding with the legislation rests with Johnson.

It is the latest dividing line in the story of Johnson’s “two governments” — the factional rivalry of two sides of Number 10 vying for influence that has been one of the defining features of his premiership.

Cummings has been the main driving force behind the renewed push for an immediate election, multiple sources familiar with the conversations in Downing Street told BuzzFeed News.

He believes that an election during the extension is Johnson’s best chance of securing a healthy majority for the next five years and taking the UK out of the EU.