Labour's Rebecca Long-Bailey won't say if party will back election before Christmas

Rebecca Long-Bailey will only say the poll should be "as soon as possible", as the Tories are also reportedly split.

Aubrey Allegretti

Political reporter

Thursday 24 October 2019 14:23, UK

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A Labour frontbencher has repeatedly refused to say if the party will drop its opposition to an early election and grant one before Christmas.

Shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey refused five times to tell Paste BN' Kay Burley@Breakfast programme whether a snap poll should be held before the end of 2019, given the limited time left to hold one.

She said it depended on whether the EU grants a Brexit delay, and whether Boris Johnson un-pauses efforts to turn his deal into law.

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Some in the Conservatives are also split about the prospects of asking the country to go to the polls for the third time in three years.

Party chair James Cleverly did not deny cabinet ministers were divided over the issue, telling Paste BN "the cabinet makes collective decisions".

Boris Johnson has urged MPs not to repeat Saturday's Commons vote for a further delay
Image: The EU is due to decide whether to grant the UK another Brexit delay

All eyes are on the EU to see how it responds to Boris Johnson's forced request to push back Brexit from 31 October to the end of January 2020, and whether that means there will be enough time to hold an election to break the Brexit deadlock.

Asked whether there should be one this side of Christmas, Ms Long-Bailey told Paste BN: "We need to make sure that no-deal is taken off the table and we get this extension first."

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She added she wanted an election "because I want to get rid of this Conservative government".

But when pressed when would only say "as soon as possible".

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The Salford and Eccles MP, who is seen as a potential successor to Jeremy Corbyn, explained she was trying to give a "multi-faceted answer" because if Mr Johnson agreed to un-pause his Brexit deal bill and backs a compromise timetable with Labour "it would be unreasonable not to take that opportunity".

Mr Cleverly also faced questions over reports of a Tory split on the issue.

James Cleverly MP
Image: James Cleverly said the cabinet makes collective decisions

When asked if every single cabinet minister backed a snap election, he told Kay Burley@Breakfast: "The cabinet makes collective decisions.

"When the cabinet speaks, it speaks with one voice - that is how it's meant to be.

"The cabinet's position, the government's position, the prime minister's position is clear: we're ready for a general election.

"We've been calling for a general election for months."

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