good evening the Prime Minister who said
last month that he'd rather die in a
ditch than ask for another brexit delay
has now written to the european council
president accepting a three-month
extension to the brexit process it's the
formal confirmation that mr. Johnson's
pledge to take Britain out of the EU by
this Thursday can't be delivered Prime
Minister has again called for an early
general election he said this Parliament
had become dysfunctional but his plan
for an election on December the 12th was
rejected by the House of Commons tonight
another attempt is expected tomorrow and
Labour says it will not agree to an
election unless a No Deal brexit is
completely ruled out this report from
our political editor Laura keansburg
does contain some flash photography
throw your hands up if you like every
shot and efficient and constructive
meeting and I am happy that decision has
been taken huh sure it's inefficient not
how anyone could describe the brexit
process full of missteps and stumbles
but the meeting in Brussels to give the
UK another three months delay was
exactly that the prime minister says the
pause was imposed on the government
against its will and writing to the EU
Council he says I have no discretion to
do anything other than confirm the UK's
formal agreement to this extension he
goes on to state in my view this
unwanted prolongation of the UK's
membership of the EU is damaging to our
democracy and to the relationship
between us and our European friends
but despite Boris Johnson's rush he's
broken his brexit deadline and his
promise to leave by Halloween instead
this afternoon tried to push MPs to the
ballot box there is a widespread view
that this Parliament has run its course
because I simply do not believe that
this house is capable of delivering on
the priorities of the people whether
that means brexit or anything else
technically this sessions only been
going a couple of weeks for the current
cast have been in place since 2017
there's nothing comfortable about this
for a Labour they won't agree a contest
yet he will avoid his responsibilities
break his promises to dodge scrutiny and
today he wants an election and his bill
well not with our endorsement the SNP
and the Lib Dems though we're I'm ready
to back the prime minister tonight but
tomorrow when he'll need only to win by
one might be a different story
we will not vote with the government
tonight but make no mistake the Scottish
National Party are ready to give people
back their safe the way forward now is
to have an election to do so responsibly
not letting the Prime Minister forced
through his bad breaks it deal there are
doubts though about an election even in
Tory ranks and among their natural
allies we are not wreckers we do not
want to see the United Kingdom on
governor ball but the one thing we don't
we're not prepared to do is to see the
United Kingdom divided
ultimately the Prime Minister was miles
off what he needed dice to the right 299
the news to the left 70 but just when
one vote is gone along comes another
round here number 10 will ask MPs again
tomorrow to back an election on December
the 12th but their vow this time to
ditch any effort to get their brexit
deal through Parliament with that gone
the opposition parties may be more
enthusiastic but suspicions of Boris
Johnson's motives are all around tonight
but tomorrow this Parliament might call
time on an era of short tempers and long
debates and move swiftly into a
ferocious campaign of short days and
long election nights and Laura is that
Westminster will talk to her in just a
moment first let's go to Brussels and
talk to our Europe editor Katya Adler
and catcher how does Brussels view the
prospect of an election here possibly
within weeks well if we think back to
when Theresa May was prime minister at
the time EU leaders hoped that if you
got Parliament involved that could help
solve the UK's brexit question at other
times they thought a second referendum
or even yes a general election
definitely when they've been
renegotiating at the brexit deal of late
EU leaders have hope this could bring
the issue of brexit to a conclusion in
the UK certainly the Prime Minister
promised EU leaders it would and yet
look where we are right now there have
been so many false dawns when it comes
to the long brexit process and that's
why when the prime minister in his
letter to the EU today and asked them
yes I'll accept a new brexit extensions
but please could you EU make it clear
that this will be the very last brexit
delay this is not something that you
leaders are really prepared to do
because he what happens if it does come
to a general election and it proves
inconclusive when it comes to brexit
what happens if the new brexit deal
comes again before Parliament and MPs
reject it EU leaders their main focus
throughout all these months of
negotiation has been to avoid a damaging
No Deal
brexit they want to keep in their back
pocket the possibility of another brexit
extension if need be to avoid a No Deal
scenario even if the idea of even more
brexit delay really does not make the EU
happy alright catch ya thanks very much
let's go to Westminster then talk to
Laura Laura what do you think the
chances are of a vote tomorrow which
actually approves the general election
before Christmas here I think the
chances are good for Downing Street in
terms of getting what they so desire the
idea of trying to get that clarity that
Kathy was just talking about of getting
to the country in a way that they hope
would work out for them but just because
the chances are better than they have
been for a Boris Johnson in terms of
getting it to the ballot box
it doesn't mean whatsoever that this
will be a slam-dunk remember he has
tried before and failed tried again and
failed and tried again tonight and
failed again it seems tonight that the
Lib Dems and the SNP are pretty much on
board but pretty much is very important
they will be waiting to see precisely in
black and white what the terms are of
the vote that the prime minister wants
to have tomorrow and do not
underestimate for one single second how
other MPs from the Labour Party or maybe
the DUP might try to get in there and
amend or change what has been put
forward in front of them so certainly it
seems that things could be stacking up
for the prime minister but it does not
mean that he will reach this goal by in
24 hours time it seems though that
Parliament has been inching towards this
moment for many weeks now it could be
that we are now in the final strides
you