British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he has no choice but to call for early elections after a group of rebel lawmakers in Parliament seized control over the issue of Brexit.
Tuesday’s 328 to 301 vote in the House of Commons means lawmakers can bring forth a motion to once again to delay Britain's exit from the European Union and block Johnson’s so-called "no-deal" departure.
Opposition lawmakers say Johnson's intent to leave the EU on October 31, even if there is a no exit deal with the EU in place, could spell disaster for the British economy.
The rebel parliamentarians included members from opposition parties and Johnson’s own Conservative Party.
Conservative lawmaker Philip Lee dramatically crossed the floor to the opposition side Tuesday, saying the government was “pursuing a damaging Brexit in unprincipled ways,” putting lives and livelihoods at risk.
Even if lawmakers succeed in thwarting Johnson, the Brexit endgame is far from over. An election sometime this year is the most likely outcome of the arcane parliamentary maneuvers this week, one that could see Britain’s storied Conservative Party split, with several former ministers, including a former deputy prime minister, forming a breakaway independent Conservative Party.
It isn’t often that opposition parties seek to avoid a general election, but Monday Johnson’s rivals met and agreed to make as their priority the passing of legislation to prevent a so-called no-deal Brexit, rather than trying to oust the country’s minority Conservative government and trigger an election.
Source : VOA