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.
The debate in the House of Commons is coming to a close, with a vote on the second reading of the government bill proposing a 12 December election expected in around 15 minutes. That is likely to pass.
The real drama happens next, when the government will have to secure MPs' backing for a rapid timetable for the bill. We will also find out whether the deputy speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, has selected amendments proposing that the franchise be extended to EU citizens and 16- and 17-year olds. A provisional draft of the amendments paper suggests he has not.
YouGov's director of political research, Anthony Wells, is suggesting that peers would be free to table amendments proposing extensions to the franchise when the government's bill for an early election reaches the House of Lords tomorrow. The amendments were ruled to be "out of order" in the Commons but, he says, similar restrictions do not apply in the Lords.
John Bercow says there is clear support for the government's election bill at second reading and does not put it to a vote. MPs did not object when it was proposed that the bill be allowed to progress, so we move straight to the bill's committee stage.
Deputy speaker Lindsay Hoyle, taking the chair from John Bercow, confirms that he has not selected the Labour amendments calling for the vote to be given to EU citizens and 16- and 17-year olds.
House of Commons deputy speaker Lindsay Hoyle rules out amendments to give the votes to 16-year-olds and EU nationals. Here's Andrew Woodcock's story...
NEW: Ten of the former Tory MPs who were expelled by Boris Johnson last month are having the whip restored tonight, No10 has announced. They are:
Richard Benyon
Steve Brine
Alistair Burt
Greg Clark
Stephen Hammond
Richard Harrington
Margot James
Caroline Nokes
Nicholas Soames
Ed Vaizey
Boris Johnson's decision to offer ten former Tories the whip back means 11 others are still expelled from the party (plus Amber Rudd, who quit voluntarily). They are:
Guto Bebb
Ken Clarke
David Gauke
Justine Greening
Dominic Grieve
Sam Gyimah (who defected to the Liberal Democrats last month)
Philip Hammond
Oliver Letwin
Anne Milton
Antoinette Sandbach
Rory Stewart
Full story: Boris Johnson offers to restore whip to 10 rebel Tories
Former deputy prime minister Damian Green, leader of the One Nation group of Tory MPs, says he hopes Boris Johnson will offer more former Tories the whip back.
More than 40 staff at the People's Vote campaign have been threatened with the sack amid an ongoing feud among senior figures.
It comes after Patrick Heneghan was installed as the campaign's new chief executive, replacing James McGrory, reportedly without consultation with many of the groups involved. Tom Baldwin, the campaign's director of communications, was also removed from his role.
Following a heated meeting between staff, Heneghan and Rudd earlier today, sources said 40 employees have tonight been told they can either work under the new leadership or leave the organisation.
In an email, Mr Heneghan said:
“We expect all staff to report into the office tomorrow morning for 10am and be willing to work within the new structure in a professional manner.
“If you are determined to leave the organisation please let us know and we can have a without prejudice discussion with you.”
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