Boris Johnson has become locked into a stand-off with Jeremy Corbyn over no-deal Brexit as he struggles to gain opposition support for a pre-Christmas election.
Labour has not ruled out backing Mr Johnson’s bid for a snap poll, but the party’s leader Mr Corbyn insisted the option of the UK crashing out of the EU must first be "taken off the table" if he is to throw support behind it.
The success of the PM’s third push for an early election on December 12 to break the deadlock in the Commons depends on how Labour MPs vote as the legislation requires the support of a so-called super majority of two-thirds.
The Prime Minister will officially table his third bid on Monday under the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act (FTPA). Labour MPs are understood to have been whipped to abstain on the vote, but it was being made clear that advice could change.
Mr Corbyn last night said he would make a decision after learning the details of any delay to Brexit granted by the EU, which was expected to come on Friday. "Take no-deal off the table and we absolutely support a general election," the Labour leader said. "But no-deal must be taken off the table."
If he does not back the election, it will be the third time Mr Corbyn has been presented with the chance to go to the polls but declined.
The Prime Minister called on MPs to back a vote, offering them the sweetener of more time to debate his Brexit deal.
He predicted it was "likely" an extension would be granted until the end of January, which he was compelled to request under the Benn Act forced through Parliament by MPs opposed to a no-deal.
But Mr Johnson, in a letter to the Labour leader, said Brussels may offer a shorter extension to Article 50, which he said he preferred in a dropping of his "do or die" commitment to leave by the current October 31 deadline.
Some Labour MPs are opposed to a snap election at a time when the party is trailing the Tories in the polls.
Ben Bradshaw, a senior Labour backbencher, said he was not prepared to back an election.
"I am certainly not falling into this trap. I think the overwhelming view of Labour MPs and Labour supporters in the country is we need a referendum first before an election," he said.
The SNP, Liberal Democrats and Plaid Cymru have roundly refused to give their backing to the PM's plan.
