UNITED KINGDOM: Boris Johnson hopes to regain a majority and implement his promise of Brexit to take the UK out of the European Union
New vote and new result. This Tuesday, British MPs approved the holding of early parliamentary elections on the 12th December, by which Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes to regain a majority and implement his Brexit promise to leave the United Kingdom of the European Union.
After several hours of heated debate, the text calling the ballot, third general election in four years, was adopted by an overwhelming majority of 438 votes for (20 against) in the House of Commons, which had previously rejected an amendment of the Labour opposition fixing the date of the vote on 9 December.
The text must still receive Wednesday the approval of the Lords, where the passage of the text could be only a formality. The Parliament would then be dissolved next Wednesday at 00:01 (GMT), said Minister responsible for relations with this institution, Jacob Rees-Mogg.
A risky bet for Boris Johnson
Hard fight, Boris Johnson has ended up getting the early elections he has been asking for weeks. Indispensable to regain a majority, this election also promises, for the British Prime Minister, a risky gamble with multiple unknowns.
In the event of a big victory, Boris Johnson would have his hands free to adopt the EU Brexit agreement he obtained in Brussels. But in a very volatile political context, the opposition could unite to derail its strategy or even challenge Brexit.
These elections will be held just a few weeks before the scheduled date (after three postponements) for the divorce on January 31st. Having managed to renegotiate the exit agreement, Boris Johnson plans to campaign with the promise to “implement Brexit”.
The Labour Party, the main opposition party, wants to win a new agreement with the EU in case of victory and to submit it to a referendum, a rejection then going to cancel the divorce. The Scottish separatists SNP are also in favour of a new referendum, while the Europhiles of the Liberal Democrats want to cancel Brexit altogether.
