What Happens Next? LBC's Guide To Whether We'll Still Get A Snap General Election
5 September 2019, 07:36 | Updated: 5 September 2019, 08:07
What happens next after Boris Johnson's defeat? LBC's Political Editor Theo Usherwood says the door is still open for a snap General Election - but a Labour rebellion against Jeremy Corbyn could scupper it.
Boris Johnson's push for a snap general election was rejected by MPs last night. He needed a majority of two-thirds, but the motion fell well short last night after most Labour MPs abstained.
Jeremy Corbyn insists that he will not back a new election until the law to stop a no-deal Brexit is passed.
That legislation has gone to the House of Lords and a deal was reached to allow the bill to clear the upper chamber by 5pm tomorrow.
And Theo says that leaves the door open for another vote for a snap election on Monday.
Speaking to Nick Ferrari, he said: "The latest development - the bill will receive Royal Assent on Friday by 5pm.
"That will then allow the government to put the same motion under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act to hold an early election. That requires a magical number of 434 MPs to vote for it, which it didn't receive last night. It only got 298 because Labour didn't vote for it.
"Boris Johnson will put the vote again for an early election on Monday.
"Jeremy Corbyn has said that if you give the bill Royal Assent, we will vote for an election.
"But he's going to have to face down Keir Starmer and many of his own MPs who fear that it's a great big elephant trap, that what Boris Johnson actually wants to do is prorogue parliament on Monday after that vote and move the date of the election to after 31st October.
"Keir Starmer wants to wait until after a Brexit extension to 31st January is approved by the EU before he backs a General Election.
"There are tensions on the Labour front bench about this. They're very unhappy with Jeremy Corbyn about this, but if he decides to back this, it's going to a battle of wills and the only thing that can stop an early election at the moment is a revolt on the Labour benches."
