Jeremy Corbyn Triggers No Confidence Vote In Government

Jeremy Corbyn has taken up Theresa May’s offer to call a no confidence vote in the government in an effort to trigger a general election, after the prime minister suffered an historic defeat on her Brexit deal.

May pre-empted Labour by offering a vote on Wednesday if the Labour leader wanted one after her deal was defeated by a massive 230 votes.

If Corbyn wins the vote and a new government cannot command the support of the majority of MPs within 14 calendar days, parliament is dissolved and a general election is triggered.

But the Labour leader is widely expected to lose, with the DUP pledging to back May’s government even if it is opposed to the deal, and no Tories likely to rebel.

Defeat for Corbyn could instead have implications for Labour’s Brexit strategy, as the party has set a policy stating that if it cannot force a snap election it must support “all options remaining on the table, including campaigning for a public vote”.

The Labour leader’s aides have declared that a second referendum is not his “preferred” or “default” option but a failure to back one could put himon collision course with the party membership.

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