Johnson seeks another route for Brexit

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is pushing for a December snap election to try to win more seats in Parliament and more support for his Brexit deal. Members of Parliament want more time to debate his transition plan for withdrawing from the European Union, but Johnson said on Thursday he would only allow that if they agreed to a Dec. 12 election.

How likely is this election? Johnson needs a two-thirds majority in Parliament to schedule the election. He already lost two earlier votes. Another is scheduled for Monday. The main opposition Labour Party said it would back the election only if a no-deal Brexit, in which the United Kingdom would leave the European Union without a transition plan, was not an option. The European Union’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier on Friday said the bloc will likely make a decision next week on whether to extend the Brexit deadline of Oct. 31.

Dig deeper: Read my report in World Tour about the historic religious conflict at the heart of the Brexit debate.