Downing Street denies cabinet split over general election timing
Downing Street today rejected reports of divisions within Boris Johnson’s Cabinet over when the government should try to call a general election, as it considers the next steps to deliver Brexit.
The Prime Minister is thought to favour a general election if the EU suggests a Brexit delay until 31 January 2020.
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Other ministers are reportedly set on getting his Withdrawal Agreement Bill through parliament as a priority.
However, Number 10 told the BBC there were rifts in the cabinet’s thinking on Brexit.
MPs have rejected Johnson’s bid to fast-track the approval of the Brexit bill, despite giving the PM’s Brexit deal their support.
That defeat has rendered a 31 October Brexit – something Johnson has pledged he would stick to “do or die” – incredibly unlikely.
The government is now waiting to hear from Brussels on how long a Brexit delay could be.
Chief adviser Dominic Cummings wants the government to abandon its attempt to get the bill through parliament and instead call for a general election, according to the Sun.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith is one minister still pushing to approve a bill that passes the Brexit deal into law.
Talks between Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and the Prime Minister came to nothing yesterday, with the former intent on setting a different timetable for the bill’s passage.
However, Johnson requires two-thirds of the Commons’ support to call a general election, under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act. So far he has failed to secure that majority twice.
Corbyn has said he would agree to an election when a no-deal Brexit is taken off the table.
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An election, if triggered this week, could not take place until November at the earliest, due to a compulsory 25-day window between parliament calling an election and the election taking place.
The EU is not expected to reveal its decision on a Brexit delay until Friday.