THE 2019 general election on December 12 – called in the wake of an impasse over Brexit – is the first to be held by virtue of an Act of Parliament.
Political deadlock forced Parliament to introduce the Early Parliamentary General Election Act 2019, as otherwise the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011 would have required a poll on May 5, 2022.
With that being six years after the referendum – and with the Brexit deadline drifting from March to October to next January – something had to be done far sooner.
Brexit will dominate the election and the three main parties have distinct positions.
Conservative leader Boris Johnson wants to leave the EU immediately under his withdrawal agreement, which includes scrapping the ‘Irish backstop’ and replacing it with a new customs arrangement.
The general election was called just before his October 31 deadline to leave the EU expired. His deal had not been approved by the House of Commons so he had to ask the EU to extend the deadline to January 31 next year.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wants to negotiate a new withdrawal agreement and hold a second referendum with the options being his deal or staying in the EU.
His deal would see the UK remain in an EU customs union and retain a ‘close’ single market relationship, allowing the UK to continue trading with the EU without checks but preventing it striking trade deals with other countries.
Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson has pledged to cancel Brexit immediately and remain in the EU.
Her party would support another referendum if it did not win a majority at the election.
Television debates between the leaders are planned for November 19 and 28.