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following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may
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British PM, Boris Johnson, Says to Call General
Election After Defeat in Parliament
September 3, 2019
British Prime Minister, Borish Johnson, reacting to losing vote
in Parliament, September 3, 2019
Brexit: Boris Johnson defeated as MPs take control
BBC, September 3, 2019
Tory rebels and opposition MPs have defeated the government in the
first stage of their attempt to pass a law designed to prevent a no-deal
Brexit.
The Commons voted 328 to 301 to take control of the agenda, meaning
they can bring forward a bill seeking to delay the UK's exit date.
In response, Boris Johnson said he would bring forward a motion for
an early general election.
Jeremy Corbyn said the bill should be passed before an election was
held.
In total, 21 Tory MPs, including a number of ex-cabinet ministers,
joined opposition parties to defeat the government.
After the vote, Downing Street said those Tory MPs who rebelled would
have the whip removed, effectively expelling them from the parliamentary
party.
No 10 had hoped the threat of expulsion - and an election - would
bring would-be rebels into line.
The longest-serving of the Tory rebels, ex-chancellor Ken Clarke,
told BBC Newsnight he was still "a mainstream Conservative" but he
didn't recognise his party any more.
The "knockabout character" of the prime minister had "the most
right-wing cabinet a Conservative government has ever produced", he
said.
The prime minister said the MPs' bill would "hand control" of Brexit
negotiations to the EU and bring "more dither, more delay, more
confusion".
He told MPs he had no choice but to press ahead with efforts to call
an October election, adding: "The people of this country will have to
choose."
The result means the MPs will be able to take control of Commons
business on Wednesday.
That will give them the chance to introduce a cross-party bill which
would force the prime minister to ask for Brexit to be delayed until 31
January, unless MPs approve a new deal, or vote in favour of a no-deal
exit, by 19 October.
Media captionCorbyn: Get the bill passed first
The BBC understands the government intends to hold an election on 15
October, two days before a crucial EU summit in Brussels.
To call an election under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, Mr Johnson
would need support from Labour as he requires the backing of two-thirds
of the UK's 650 MPs.
But Mr Corbyn said the legislation backed by opposition MPs and Tory
rebels should pass before any election was held, to "take no deal off
the table".
He added: "There is no majority to leave without a deal within the
country".
Shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon said he did not trust Boris
Johnson not to call an election for mid-October and then change the
date afterwards.
He said the prime minister could "change the date so that during the
general election campaign we crash out of the European Union with a
no deal".
"We want it bolting down that a no-deal Brexit can't occur, and once
that's done, we want a general election as soon as possible," he
told the BBC.
The BBC's chief political correspondent, Vicki Young, said the
government was framing the situation as the Labour leader trying to
block Brexit, and that would be its argument going into a general
election.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said he was "delighted" that
MPs had expressed a "very clear view" in favour of a law to block no
deal.
"Boris Johnson and his government must respect the right of
parliamentarians to represent the interests of their constituents,"
he said.
"Yes, there must be an election, but an election follows on from
securing an extension to the [Brexit deadline]."
British PM says to call general election after defeat in
parliament
Source: Xinhua| 2019-09-04 06:45:25|Editor: Shi Yinglun
LONDON, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) --
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Tuesday night he would
be calling a general election if MPs vote for a no-deal Brexit on
Wednesday.
His dramatic statement came after MPs voted by 328 to 321 to put
forward an emergency bill Wednesday to block Johnson from taking Britain
out of the European Union (EU) on Oct. 31 without a deal.
Johnson said if MPs vote for the no deal bill, the only way forward
would be for the people to decide.
He said: "Let there be no doubt Parliament is on the brink of
wrecking any deal with Brussels."
An election could take place on Oct. 14, but no potential date has
yet been agreed.
Addressing a packed House of Commons, Johnson said he does not want
an election but if MPs vote for the no-deal bill on Wednesday the public
will have to choose who goes to Brussels on Oct. 17.
"If Jeremy Corbyn (the Labour leader) goes to Brussels, he will do
what the EU wants," he said, adding that if he goes, he will get a deal
from the EU.
Rebel Conservative MPs had been warned ahead of the vote they would
be kicked out of the party if they voted against the government. But it
was confirmed by Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom that the rebels would
be given a second chance to vote with the government during the
Wednesday debate.
It they are suspended from the party, it would prevent them from
standing as Conservatives in the general election.
During a day of high drama, as MPs returned to Westminster after
their long summer break, Johnson suffered a blow when one of the
Conservative MPs, Phillip Lee, defected to the minority Liberal
Democrats.
His departure from the Conservative benches meant Johnson's
government no longer has even its majority of one in the House of
Commons.
If the emergency no-deal bill passes through both houses of
parliament and receives Royal consent from Queen Elizabeth this week, it
will halt Britain's planned departure from the EU on Oct. 31 unless
there is a deal between Britain and Brussels.
Supports say the move is seen as potentially the last opportunity for
MPs to prevent Britain leaving without a deal.
As MPs debated, hundreds of protesters chanting "stop the coup"
marched past the Houses of Parliament. They blocked the road alongside
the famous building, from Parliament Square to College Green in
Westminster. Some held smoke-bombs as they shouted their messages.
It was a reaction to Johnson's decision to prorogue, or close down
parliament next week for five weeks.
The debate Tuesday night was generated by Conservative rebel MP
Oliver Letwin who said it would provide the government with the time to
seek to solve the Brexit problem and enable parliament to help resolve
an issue which has proved very difficult.
The bill to be debated Wednesday would pave the way for a Brexit
extension to Jan. 31 if no deal with the EU is agreed by then.
In a noisy debate in the famous wood-panelled chamber, the
Conservative Leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg accused MPs
wanting to block a no-deal Brexit of deliberately attempting to allow an
extension long enough to allow a second piece of legislation, or to
allow Brexit to be scrapped altogether.
Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, denied the
emergency bill was not an attempt to reverse Brexit.
Corbyn said the bill, if passed this week, is about providing "vital
breathing space" to allow MPs to find a way through "this mess".
The latest YouGov opinion poll continues to put Johnson's
Conservatives ahead. Of people quizzed for the poll, 35 percent said
they backed the Conservatives, a 2 percent rise over last week. The main
opposition Labour Party has seen its share also go up by 3 percent to 25
percent. The minority Liberal Democrats, according to the poll, would
see their share drop from 21 percent to 16 percent.
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