The Labour Party reversed course Tuesday as opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn issued a statement supporting a snap general election, all but ensuring that a general election will be held before the end of the year.
“I have consistently said that we are ready for an election and our support is subject to a No Deal Brexit being off the table,” Corbyn’s statement reads. “We have now heard from the EU that the extension of Article 50 to 31st January has been confirmed, so for the next three months, our condition of taking No Deal off the table has now been met. We will now launch the most ambitious and radical campaign for real change our country has ever seen.”
A senior government adviser told CNN that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s conservative government will back an election on December 11, leaving it up to the Labour Party, the Scottish National Party, and Liberal Democrats to iron out the details. Johnson will put his election bill to the House of Commons later on Tuesday, with only a simple majority needed to move forward.
Last week, Johnson said in an interview that he would call for an election on December 12 after Parliament failed to facilitate an exit from the European Union by October 31.
An agreement on exit terms between Johnson and the E.U. was reached on October 17, and was agreed to in principle by Parliament, but Johnson faced significant resistance in a separate vote to fast-track its ratification, which was ultimately rejected by a 329-299 margin.
“Tonight the House has refused to be bounced into debating a hugely significant piece of legislation in just two days — with barely any notice and an analysis of the economic impact of this bill,” Corbyn said after the vote.