UK Lawmakers To Vote Today On PM Johnson-Led Government’s Call To Have An Election On 12 December

UK MPs will on Monday (28 October) vote on the Prime Minister Boris Johnson-led government's call to have an election on 12 December.

Johnson said that if the vote was approved, his Brexit bill would resume its progress through Parliament until that is dissolved on 6 November, the BBC reported.

Two-thirds of MPs - 434 - would have to back the motion for it to pass under the law which sets election timings.

A Downing Street source said on Sunday (27 October) that MPs would vote on an election "so we can get a new Parliament".

If the vote was lost, the sources said that the government would then "look at all options" including ideas similar to those proposed by other parties.

MPs have already twice rejected a call from the Prime Minister to hold a general election.

Also on Monday, European Union (EU) Ambassadors from the other 27 nations will meet to consider the date of a Brexit deadline extension.

They have agreed to delay Brexit and were expected to make a decision on a new date, with an option for the UK to leave earlier if and when a deal is signed off.

A draft text of an agreement for the Ambassadors includes multiple possible dates for Brexit: November 30, December 31 or January 31, 2020.

There will also be a commitment that the Withdrawal Agreement on the UK's exit from the EU cannot be renegotiated in future.

Johnson has sent a letter to the EU requesting a Brexit delay until 31 January 2020. He was compelled to do so by a law passed by MPs - known as the Benn Act.

Before this, the Prime Minister had repeatedly insisted the UK would leave the EU on 31 October, with or without a deal.

The UK is still due to leave the EU on Thursday (31 October) - but EU ambassadors were working on an alternative date.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)