General election before Christmas moves step closer as key Tory and Labour figures signal approval

A pre-Christmas general election has moved a step closer after a government minister said it was the only way to break the Brexit deadlock and Labour appeared to give its backing.

However, Boris Johnson was warned of parliamentary trench warfare if he tried to pass a bill to force the UK to the polls – including an attempt to give 16 and 17-year-olds the vote.

The election talk was ramped up after the prime minister slammed the brakes on his Brexit deal when MPs threw out his attempt to ram it through the Commons in just three days without proper scrutiny.

Robert Buckland, the justice secretary – and the cabinet’s arch-compromiser – agreed a winter election campaign would be far from ideal, but said: “That seems to me to be the only way to break this impasse.”

Moments earlier, his Labour shadow Richard Burgon, asked if Jeremy Corbyn would help trigger a general election once the threat of a no-deal on 31 October has been removed, replied: “Yes.”

However, there is a bitter fight at the top of Labour over whether to push for a Final Say referendum, not an election, not least because of the party’s disastrous poll ratings.

If Labour still refuses to overturn the fixed term parliaments act, Mr Johnson could be forced to publish a one-line bill for an election in early December, which could then be amended.

Ken Clarke, the veteran former Tory cabinet minister, predicted opposition parties would pounce on the chance to lower the voting age from 18 to 16.

Iain Duncan Smith, the former Tory leader, called for an election if the opposition carried on “playing games” – even if it meant the prime minister declaring no-confidence in himself to get one.

Mr Johnson himself failed to repeat his election threat after his Commons defeat on Tuesday evening, but it remains part of No 10’s thinking.

All eyes are now on the EU, which is expected to grant the three-month delay to Article 50, until the end of January, requested under the terms of the Benn Act.

The prime minister has hinted a delay of a few weeks might be acceptable – perhaps allowing a deal to be struck with Labour to scrutinise the withdrawal agreement bill – but a few months would not.

Mr Buckland cast doubt on the EU agreeing the extension requested, saying: “Do you remember last time when we asked for an extension? The Europeans came back with a totally different date for a set of reasons that was theirs.”

However, Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council, said three months was his recommendation. A ‘flextension’ – allowing the UK to leave before 31 January, if it ratifies the deal – is highly likely.

Mr Clarke warned a bill to trigger a December election would trigger a host of amendments, saying: “People will want to reduce the voting age to 16 for a start, but I think a lot of people will be thinking of a lot of other ingenious things they could put in.”