British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has proposed that the UK head to early elections in December, as part of a compromise agreement with Parliament over Britian’s departure from the European Union.
On Thursday, Johnson said he would accept demands by lawmakers that they be given more time to debate a new Brexit deal with the European Union – on condition that Parliament be dissolved and snap elections held on December 12th.
"If they genuinely want more time to study this excellent deal, they can have it - but they have to agree to a general election on 12 December," Johnson told the BBC.
Johnson, who succeeded Theresa May in July after she failed to secure support from Parliament for a Brexit agreement with Brussels, had called for the UK to adhere to the October 31st deadline for departing the EU – even if no deal could be reached.
But last week, Parliament voted to force Johnson to request another Brexit extension from the EU, in the hopes of avoiding a no-deal Brexit.
Britain voted in a June 2016 referendum to leave the EU, and in March 2017, then-Prime Minister Theresa May invoked Article 50 of the EU charter, forcing the UK to leave the European Union by March 2019 – even if no deal was reached.
After failing to win Parliament’s backing for the deals negotiated with Brussels, however, May sought and received two extensions, pushing off Brexit until October 31st.
Johnson had advised the Queen to suspend, or prorogue, parliament for five weeks, effectively blocking lawmakers from forcing him to seek another Brexit extension.
The move was later ruled illegal by the Supreme Court, ending the suspension and enabling Parliament to force the prime minister into seeking another Brexit extension.
Now, however, Johnson has proposed a compromise agreement with Parliament, acceding to the request for additional time to consider the newest Brexit deal – in exchange for snap elections this December.
Polls currently show Johnson’s Conservative party with a comfortable double-digit lead over Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour.
Should opposition MPs try to block the new elections, Johnson said he would “campaign day after day for the people of this country to be released from subjection to a Parliament that has outlived its usefulness.”
If Britain does hold early elections this December, it will be the third time since 2015 that the UK has held general elections.