Johnson calls for snap election on Oct 15 after MPs vote to prevent no-deal Brexit

London [UK], Sept 5 (ANI): British parliamentarians on Wednesday passed a bill aimed at preventing a no-deal Brexit, dealing yet another blow to UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson even as he called for a snap election on October 15.

The opposition MPs, including rebel Conservative lawmakers, backed the bill by 327 votes to 299, CNN reported.

"It is completely impossible for the government to function if the House of Commons refuses to pass anything that the government proposes. In my view and the view of the government, there must now be an election on Tuesday, October 15," he told the House members after the vote.

Johnson said he was "sad" to see the MPs voting in favour of no-deal Brexit and said his government is committed to making UK leave the European Union (EU) on October 31 with a "better deal" if he remained in power after the snap election.

"If I am still the Prime Minister after October 15th, we will leave on October 31st, which I hope, (with) a much better deal," the 55-year-old leader outlined.

Johnson had earlier threatened to call for an early general election if his Conservative government lost the crucial vote on a possible delay on Brexit.

On Tuesday, lawmakers voted in favour of seizing control of parliamentary business in a bid to pass the bill that could block a no-deal Brexit. The UK government lost the vote by a margin of 27, with the final count being 301 to 328.
Following this, Johnson ousted 21 MPs from his party after they sided with the opposition and voted to support the motion.

Meanwhile, Opposition Labour Party had previously ruled out supporting the government's call for a snap election if the bill was passed by the Parliament.

"We will not be voting with the government tonight and we will keep our focus with the task at hand which is to ensure that we do not leave the EU without a deal," shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer told lawmakers on Wednesday.

Amid the Brexit chaos, the House of Commons witnessed a fiery session when opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn said that Johnson had no plans to get a new deal as he has "no authority and no majority".

"He has no plan to get a new deal, no plan, no authority and no majority," he said.

Corbyn remarked that "we are less than 60 days away from leaving the EU without a deal" and Johnson is "desperate, absolutely desperate to avoid scrutiny".

In response, Johnson said that his government is making "substantial process" in negotiating a Brexit deal with the EU, but asserted that it should not be done in public.

Continuing his tirade against Johnson, Corbyn called the talks a "sham", saying the UK Prime Minister is "simply running down the clock". (ANI)