Boris Johnson news - live: Election to be held on 12 December after plans to give vote to EU citizens and 16-year-olds dismissed
Follow all the latest developments as MPs clear way for pre-Christmas polls
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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson is set to secure a 12 December general election after MPs passed a bill to trigger a pre-Christmas poll.
The prime minister had earlier avoided a potential obstacle when the House of Commons deputy speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, refused to allow votes on Labour amendments calling for the vote to be given to EU citizens and 16- and 17-year olds.
The government had said it would pull the bill if either of the amendments passed.
MPs also voted by 315 to 295 to reject an amendment tabled by Jeremy Corbyn to change the date of the election to 9 December, three days earlier than ministers wanted.
Johnson compares Corbyn to Goldilocks
Boris Johnson compared Jeremy Corbyn to Goldilocks, joking: “One offer is too hot, one’s too cold. I hope he’ll be able to stand up this afternoon and say this time, this offer of an election is just right.”
He added: “It will have a government that is yearning with every fibre of its being to be able to get on and deliver our one nation Conservative agenda.”
The PM went on: “There is only one way to get Brexit done in the face of this unrelenting parliamentary obstructionism, this endless, wilful, fingers crossed, not me guv refusal to deliver on the mandate of the people and that is to refresh this parliament and give the people a choice.”
Economic figures will be published next week
Official figures expected to lay bare the deteriorating state of the economy will be published next week in a blow to the government.
Chancellor Sajid Javid was facing growing criticism for refusing to release the normal autumn forecasts, after cancelling his budget announced for 6 November.
But the independent office for budget responsibility (OBR) has now said it will go ahead and publish the latest figures anyway.
Our deputy political editor has more.
The key questions being asked in Westminster are: will Lindsay Hoyle, the deputy speaker, allow MPs to vote on amendments calling for the franchise to be extended to 16- and 17-year olds and EU citizens and, if he does, will either of them pass?
Those two factors will determine whether Boris Johnson gets his wish for a pre-Christmas general election. Why? Because the government has said that, if either amendment passes, they will scrap the bill that would trigger an early election.
What would happen then is unclear. Ministers would be expected to bring back the Withdrawal Agreement Bill and try to get Brexit done in the current parliament, but No10 spokesperson refused to be drawn on the government's back-up plan.
Boris Johnson to abandon snap general election if 16-year-olds and EU citizens given right to vote. Here's political editor Andrew Woodcock's story:
Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson's senior adviser, does not seem too confident about the government's chances of securing a December election...
Speaking in the Commons, Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson insists her preferred outcome is still a second referendum because voters would, she says, "be likely to reject this bad Brexit deal."
However, explaining why she is now supporting an early general election, she continues:
"But I have campaigned for that, I have marched for that, we have argued for that, we have tabled amendments for that and we have not been able to secure that and my fear is, is that we will not in this Parliament and we do not have a luxury of time because the EU have given us an extension to 31 January."
Tusk confirms Brexit extension
European Council president Donald Tusk confirms the Brexit extension has been adopted by the EU27 - and warns that this could be the last one.
He also urges the UK again to "please make the best use of this time".
Labour MPs campaigning for a second referendum have tabled an amendment to the government's bill proposing an election next May - but only if a Final Say vote has been held on 26 March.
Voices: Swinson, Corbyn and the SNP have condemned us to five years of Boris Johnson, writes Sean O'Grady...
This is very significant. A leaked document that appears to show deputy speaker Lindsay Hoyle's selection of amendments suggests he will NOT allow votes on motions proposing that the franchise be extended to EU citizens and 16 and 17-year-olds. It matters because the government had threatened to scrap its plan for a December election if either of the amendments passed.
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