Pro and anti-Brexit campaigners outside the Cabinet Office in London on Thursday. Photograph: Toby Melville/Reuters
MPs vote by 329 to 300 to back a bill aimed at blocking a no-deal #Brexit///CRIMSON TAZVINZWA
British lawmakers opposed to a ‘no deal’ Brexit win in first vote on Brexit delay bill. The latest move would force PM to ask EU for delay to instead, and call a snap general election if the bill passes further stages later.
A snap election would not be in the best political interests of the leading opposition Labour as they are trailing Tories in the latest opinion polls.
As BBC political correspondent Chris Mason noted, Jeremy Corbyn has been calling for an election for months and a spokesman for him said Labour would back an election as soon as the plan to block no deal becomes law, rather than wait to see it implemented at the end of next month.
Strikingly, though, shadow chancellor John McDonnell sounded more equivocal, and shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer told the Commons he would want to see its “implementation” before an election.
This is an internal debate for Labour that could have big consequences.
Whitehall sources confirm it’s possible Bercow could rule out a second election vote under the Fixed Term Parliament Act if the Govt fails to win tonight, limiting future options. One insider says it would be ‘truly, truly extraordinary’ for Bercow to block an election///Jason Groves Via Twitter
