LONDON (AP) — Britain is to hold an early election on Dec. 12 after the House of Commons passed a bill authorizing the vote.
Lawmakers voted 438-20 in favor of the bill to give Prime Minister Boris Johnson the early election he sought. It will become law once it is approved Wednesday by the unelected House of Lords, which does not have the power to overrule the elected Commons.
WHY IS JOHNSON CALLING FOR A VOTE?
The next scheduled election is set for 2022, but Johnson’s Conservative Party has lost its working majority in Parliament and he has been unable to pass his Brexit plan. In addition, Parliament passed a law preventing Britain from leaving the European Union on Thursday, as Johnson had wanted. He is gambling that voters favor his Brexit approach and will reward him with a new, more flexible Parliament that sees things his way.
WILL IT WORK?
Polls show Johnson’s party is doing relatively well, but elections are remarkably unpredictable, and the Conservatives lost ground after confidently calling an early vote in 2017. It’s also entirely possible that the new Parliament’s makeup could be very much like the present Parliament, which could lead to still more deadlock, because there would not be majority support for any specific Brexit plan. There is no guarantee that an election will solve the Brexit riddle.
WHY DID THE OPPOSITION LABOUR PARTY AGREE AFTER RESISTING EARLIER CALLS FOR A VOTE?
Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said all along he would back a vote once a “no-deal” Brexit on Oct. 31 was taken off the table. That happened Monday when the EU offered an extension that Johnson accepted (as he was required to do by law). Corbyn had few other options, even though polls suggest his party would have to gain ground if it is to win a majority.
WHEN WAS THE LAST DECEMBER NATIONAL ELECTION? AND WHY ARE THEY SO RARE?
Britain last had a December election in 1923. There are lots of reasons why other times of the year are preferred. There’s the obvious conflict with the Christmas holidays, with many people busy with shopping and parties. Some of the polling places that would normally be used are already booked for festive events. Then there’s the weather: The days are short, so many people would have to go to the polls in the dark, and it’s often rainy or snowy in the northern parts of the country. Campaign events that would normally be held in town squares or city centers may be moved inside.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE X-FACTORS?
It’s difficult to predict the impact the Brexit Party led by Nigel Farage will have. The party is less than a year old and fared well in European Parliament elections in May, winning 29 seats. It may challenge Johnson’s Conservatives for the support of pro-Brexit voters. Johnson has never faced a national election as party leader before, but he is an experienced campaigner. Corbyn did better than expected in 2017, costing then-Prime Minister Theresa May her majority in Parliament. The leader of the resurgent Liberal Democrats, Jo Swinson, is also facing her first national campaign as party chief.
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