Boris Johnson news - live: PM will give MPs more time to debate Brexit deal if they agree to Christmas election
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Boris Johnson has offered MPs more time to debate his Brexit deal in parliament if opposition parties grant him a general election ahead of Christmas.
The prime minister appealed to Jeremy Corbyn to support a motion for an early election next week, as Mr Johnson cannot call a poll without the support of two thirds of MPs. But Labour is divided over whether to support the plan, as the party is trailing in the polls.
Mr Corbyn said he would wait for the EU answer on whether there will be a Brexit extension before deciding whether to back an election vote on Monday.
It comes as Mr Johnson faced a battle to get his Queen’s Speech passed today, but will not quit even if MPs vote it down, No 10 has said. It would be the first time a government had lost its legislative programme since 1924 – when PM Stanley Baldwin was forced to resign.
Mr Corbyn left open the possibility he could back an election depending on the Brexit extension offered by the EU.
"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 is 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."
Mr Corbyn denied there was any confusion over his position and suggested he could state on Friday whether Labour will back an election.
"There's no confusion at all," he said.
Pressed on whether an extension to the end of January would constitute no-deal being taken off the table, he replied: "We will know tomorrow what the extension will be and I can answer that question tomorrow.
"We are not resisting the chance to have an election."
This all comes after Labour whips sent an email to Labour MPs telling them to abstain from Monday's election vote.
France’s Europe minister says Paris will not give Britain any “ultimatums” over a Brexit extension – but that the reason for any such delay must be clear and justified.
Amelie de Montchalin told France’s RTL television station: "The French position is to give more time if it's justified, if we understand why we're doing it.
“If we're told 'We want to have elections,' we'll look at the question of elections.
"It's not a matter of ultimatums, it's an issue of clarity.”
A Halloween Brexit may be off the cards, but we could get Friday the 13th: Nightmare on Downing Street, Tom Peckwrites...
As things stand, Friday 13 December will be the morning the nation wakes up and for the rest of its life will find itself having to explain both to itself and to its children exactly how it was it came to vote for either Boris Johnson or Jeremy Corbyn to be prime minister, theoretically for five whole years.
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