UK Labour chief Jeremy Corbyn to back an early election

Published October 29, 2019
Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks to lawmakers during an election debate in the House of Commons, London, on Monday. — AP
Britain's main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks to lawmakers during an election debate in the House of Commons, London, on Monday. — AP

The leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party told fellow lawmakers on Tuesday that he’ll back an early election, now that the prospect that the country could crash out of the European Union without a deal has been taken off the table.

Jeremy Corbyn’s remarks come only hours before Conservative British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was set to once again ask lawmakers to approve an early election — on December 12 — saying voters must have the chance to break the Brexit deadlock in Parliament.

Corbyn’s comments come as other opposition parties, the Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party, had proposed an even earlier election date of Dec 9 in hopes that there wouldn’t be enough time for Johnson’s government to push through its Brexit bill before Parliament is suspended ahead of the election.

They did not want Johnson to campaign on his crowning achievement of having gotten the country out of the 28-nation bloc.

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