PM losing first six Commons votes surely unprecedented – and defeat worse than first FTPA attempt
Boris Johnson’s second attempt to trigger the Fixed Term Parliaments Act has failed – by a worse margin than the first.
The vote on tonight’s attempt was split 293 for and 58 against – a bigger margin than last week’s 298-56. Although more voted for Johnson’s motion, it did not achieve anywhere close to the required two-thirds majority – Labour whipped to abstain – meaning Johnson’s attempt failed.
Labour and other opposition MPs have told Johnson that they will not back a general election until he has fully enacted last week’s new Act against a no-deal Brexit.
Responding to Johnson’s defeat, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said that Parliament had ‘had quite enough of the playground politics’ of the Tory party.
The defeat means Boris Johnson has lost the first six votes of his tenure – surely unprecedented.
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