Brexit vote result – live: Boris Johnson suffers second humiliating defeat as MPs vote to block no deal but put May’s deal back on table on technicality
Follow updates from Westminster as they happened
Your support helps us to tell the story
My recent work focusing on Latino voters in Arizona has shown me how crucial independent journalism is in giving voice to underrepresented communities.
Your support is what allows us to tell these stories, bringing attention to the issues that are often overlooked. Without your contributions, these voices might not be heard.
Every dollar you give helps us continue to shine a light on these critical issues in the run up to the election and beyond
Eric Garcia
Washington Bureau Chief
Boris Johnson‘s plan to call an early general election was rejected after his earlier bid to keep a no-deal Brexit on the table suffered a major blow.
The prime minister had called for a poll to be held on 15 October after legislation designed to prevent the UK crashing out of the EU on 31 October cleared the Commons on Tuesday.
But Labour and other opposition MPs refused to back the motion for a snap election, which needed a two-thirds majority in the Commons, while the risk of a no-deal exit remained.
The government failed to secure the support of two-thirds of MPs, with the Commons voting 298 to 56 – 136 short of the number needed.
Mr Johnson urged MPs to reflect on what he thinks is the “unsustainability of this position overnight and in the course of the next few days”.
See below for live updates
Another two hours of debate to come before some more votes...
The BBC is to release two programmes looking back at David Cameron's stint as prime minister.
The national broadcaster touts "unprecedented access" to the former PM, which it says helped it examine "his rise to power as a young leader and his time in office, to the legacy he has left".
Mr Cameron, who "speaks candidly about his recollections and his time in power", a press release says.
Part one, which airs on Thursday, 19 September at 9pm on BBC One, takes in the period from Mr Cameron's 2015 election victory to his resignation after losing the Brexit referendum.
I wonder if they asked about that tweet.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is travelling to London on Thursday to meet with his embattled British counterpart Boris Johnson, writes Samuel Osborne.
The Israeli leader had earlier in this week cancelled a scheduled trip to India, citing commitments at home surrounding an upcoming general election.
Mr Netanyahu will also meet in London with US Secretary of Defence, Mark Esper, according to the prime minister’s office.
Senior Labour MPs are piling pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to block a general election until the EU has agreed to delay Brexit – which would postpone the poll beyond October, writes Rob Merrick.
Keir Starmer, the party’s Brexit spokesman, is among key figures urging the Labour leader to toughen his current stance, which is to allow a snap election once the bill to block a no-deal exit has passed.
A split is opening up at the top of the party, after Jeremy Corbyn’s spokesman said he would back a poll after the legislation becomes law, probably on Monday – allowing it to take place on Boris Johnson’s chosen date of 15 October.
↵Jeremy Corbyn could have given Boris Johnson a hard time at his first Prime Minister’s Questions. He asked tough questions about the consequences of a no-deal Brexit, and the prime minister conspicuously failed to answer, writes John Rentoul.
But it was Johnson who actually won the exchanges easily because he challenged Corbyn on whether he wanted an election on 15 October – “or is he frit?” Johnson knows that the Labour leader wants an election but is being held back by his MPs, who are urging him to make life hard for the prime minister by refusing to vote for it.
Johnson returned to the theme repeatedly, calling Corbyn a “chlorinated chicken”, and was unexpectedly supported by Ian Blackford of the Scottish National Party, who quoted the opinion polls in Scotland and said: “If he wants an election, enable the bill and bring it on.”
Hundreds of EU citizens have turned to a scheme set up in response to the Windrush scandal in order to secure the right to stay in the UK, government data shows, writes Conrad Duncan.
Data released by the Home Office shows 694 citizens from EU countries have been granted citizenship or No Time Limit/Indefinite Leave to Remain under the Windrush scheme, as of 30 June 2019.
Human rights campaigners have warned that people are using the Windrush system because they are concerned over the lack of physical identification provided by the government’s main EU settlement scheme.
The founder of The Big Issue magazine has urged the government to rethink how budgets are set following an announcement of extra money to tackle rough sleeping.
Chancellor Sajid Javid said there will be £54million more money in a bid to reduce homelessness, a real terms rise of 13 per cent.
Lord Bird said: “The chancellor says that the government is turning the page on austerity and beginning a decade of renewal.
“If Downing Street is serious about this mission, it's now time for Mr Javid to completely rethink how and why he sets budgets in the first place.
“His announcement of £54m to reduce homelessness will no doubt offer relief to some of the thousands of people sleeping rough today, but if the Treasury really wants to do something about the systemic causes of poverty, we need a revolution in government planning, budgeting and delivery.
“It’s time to get the root causes of destitution, illiteracy, low skills, high living costs, insecure work, low pay, family problems and an ineffective welfarism and not just focus on the symptoms of poverty.”
PA
Boris Johnson has accused Jeremy Corbyn of being “frit and chicken” over the chance of getting a general election.
After addressing the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, Mr Johnson told reporters: “I also made it clear that I thought that if Jeremy Corbyn was going to effectively hand over the prerogative of the British to decide how long this country can remain in the EU to the EU, then that was a question that really should be adjudicated by the British people themselves.
“I’m surprised that he seems to be frit and chicken.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments