This archive report was first published on 24 October 2019.
Published on October 24, 2019, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has proposed a December 12 general election to break the Brexit deadlock.
Johnson suspended debates on his EU divorce deal after parliament refused to fast-track the hearings ahead of the October 31 Brexit deadline.
However, lawmakers on Tuesday gave their support "in principle" for the agreement, marking the first time the House of Commons had backed any Brexit proposal since the 2016 EU referendum.
Johnson said that the only way to achieve a breakthrough in the process was for parliament to vote in favour of holding a general election.
"The way to get Brexit done is, I think, to be reasonable with parliament and say if they genuinely want more time to study this excellent deal, they can have it -- but they have to agree on a general election on December 12," he said.
Johnson must win the support of two-thirds of MPs in the House of Commons to hold early polls under current election rules.
