Boris Johnson is on course for a pre-Christmas general election after MPs finally backed his demands to go to the country in an attempt to end the Brexit deadlock.
The Commons voted by 438 to 20 at third reading to approve the one-page Bill enabling the election to be held on December 12.
Earlier, MPs voted by 315 to 295 to reject a Labour amendment for the proposed polling day to be moved to December 9 – three days earlier than ministers wanted.
The vote effectively clears the way for Parliament to be dissolved on November 6, paving the way for an election on December 12.
MPs voted for the Bill to enable the election to take place on December 12 (House of Commons/PA)
The opposition parties had wanted to bring forward polling day to cut off any possibility Mr Johnson could make a fresh attempt to ram through his Brexit deal before Parliament is dissolved.
However, Downing Street warned that it was not “logistically possible” while Government sources accused the opposition of a deliberate attempt to scupper the whole election.
(PA Graphics)
It will now go to the House of Lords, but after being approved by MPs it is unlikely that it will be held up by the unelected upper chamber.
The one-page Bill sets aside the provisions of the Fixed-Term Parliament’s Act, meaning the Government did not require a two-thirds “super majority” to get it through.
The result means Mr Johnson finally has within his grasp the election he has been pushing for since September after three previous attempts – the most recent on Monday – failed.
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