BORIS Johnson called for a General Election after his Brexit plans were scuppered.
It was another blow after MPs voted to block a No Deal Brexit, as the Prime Minister vowed to hold daily votes for a poll to break the parliamentary deadlock. Here’s all you need to know about a snap election.
What is a snap election?
Britain’s next national election is not due to be held until 2022.
Asnap electionis one that is called earlier than expected – or when not required.
The “snap” element is often used as a tactic to exploit the opposition’s weakness, or for a party to boost their majority in parliament.
The then Prime Minister Theresa May called a shock snap election in 2017.
But her gamble to try to strengthen the Tories’ hold on Parliament backfired when her majority was slashed by 13 seats.
It put the Conservatives below the 326 seats needed to form a government leading her toget the support of Northern Ireland’s DUPin a 1billion supply-and-demand deal to keep them in power.
Previously elections could be called simply by the Prime Minister going to the Queen at any point within five years of the last one.
But after the Fixed Term Parliament Act was passed in 2011 the five-year gap was enshrined in law.
What would cause a snap election?
Boris Johnson said any move to block a No Deal Brexit would weaken his hand in attempting to negotiate an agreement with Brussels.
MPs backed a bill that forces him to seek an extension to our leaving date if there was No Deal, so in return he said he would seek a general election.
After they did just that, the Prime Minister followed suit with a motion seeking the two-thirds majority needed to go to the polls on October 15.
But thevote was lost after Labour leaderJeremy Corbynordered his MPs to abstain in the knowledge this would prevent Boris getting the two thirds majority he needed.
Mr Corbyn saidwanted the rebel bill to stop a No Deal Brexit to become law first.
That prompted a furious Mr Johnsonbrand Corbyn “chicken”sayinghe was the first leader of the opposition in the democratic history of our country to refuse the invitation ofan election.
Labours mass abstention last night came despite Mr Corbyn and other senior figures in his party having called for a general election as soon as possible more than 15 times so far in this year alone.
