MPs vote for December 12 General Election

Earlier, it narrowly rejected a Labour amendment for the proposed polling day to be moved to December 9 after qualms were expressed about the “disenfranchisement” of university students, who by December 12 could have moved back home for Christmas.

Camley's Cartoon: First December General Election in over 90 years.

The vote on the bill clears the way for Parliament to be dissolved on November 6.

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The bill will now move to the House of Lords but, after being approved by MPs, it is unlikely unelected peers will seek to hold up its progress.

After addressing Tory backbenchers, the Prime Minister last night acknowledged it would be a "tough election".

He told reporters: "It's time for the country to come together, get Brexit done and go forward."

Asked if he believed he could secure a Commons majority, Mr Johnson replied: “It'll be a tough election and we are going to do the best we can.”

Jeremy Corbyn said the forthcoming election - the first in December since 1923 - would be a “once-in-a-generation chance to transform our country and take on the vested interests holding people back”.

The Labour leader in a direct message to voters declared: "The choice at this election could not be clearer: a Labour government will be on your side while Boris Johnson’s Conservatives – who think they’re born to rule – will only look after the privileged few.”

He added Labour would launch the “most ambitious and radical campaign for real change” the country had ever seen.

But with the party trailing in the polls, many Labour MPs are deeply unhappy at the prospect of a pre-Christmas election. More than 50 signed an amendment calling for the election to be delayed until May 2020.

Following the final Commons vote, Jo Swinson, the Liberal Democrat leader, said the December poll was the best chance to elect a government to stop Brexit.

“The Liberal Democrats are the strongest party of Remain and will be standing on a manifesto to stop Brexit by revoking Article 50,” insisted the East Dunbartonshire MP.

As with all matters Brexit, the road to the election was an uncertain and circuitous one but the breakthrough came when, after a meeting of the Shadow Cabinet, Mr Corbyn finally bowed to intense pressure and agreed in principle to support an early election.

The Labour leader explained, given Brussels’ had offered its so-called “flextension,” then its pre-condition of no-deal being taken off the table had been met.

After days of uncertainty about whether Parliament could agree a snap election date, the Government tried to secure one under the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act but failed to get the required two-thirds majority.

It then decided to adopt the route suggested by the Lib Dems and the SNP; having a short bill requiring only a simple majority.

UK ministers had previously hesitated about this route because such a bill could be amended.

Indeed, when MPs put down amendments to change the franchise, to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote as well as EU citizens, Downing St made clear if they succeeded, the PM would pull the bill.

However, after Lindsay Hoyle, the Deputy Speaker, declined to accept those amendments – he does not have to give a reason - the way was clear for a December election. The only real question was whether it was going to be on December 12, as the Government wanted, or on December 9, as Labour, the SNP and the Lib Dems wanted.

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The PM opened the debate, accusing Labour of adopting a strategy of procrastination.

"They don't want to deliver Brexit on October 31, on November 31, even on January 31. They just want to spin it out forever, until the 12th of never. And when the 12th of never eventually comes around, they'll devise one of their complicated parliamentary procedures and move a motion for a further delay and a further extension," declared the PM.

Mr Corbyn hit back, telling MPs: “Labour backs a general election because we want this country to be rid of this reckless and destructive Conservative Government. It is time for real change.”

Ian Blackford for the SNP said his party was not prepared to sit back and allow Scotland to be taken out of the EU against its will.

“So, on that basis, I welcome the opportunity of an election because, make no mistake, the election that's coming is going to be the right of Scotland to determine its own future," he declared.

On the final vote, the division list showed 127 Labour MPs voted for the early election legislation along with 281 Tories, the 10 DUP MPs and 19 Independents.

The 20 MPs, who opposed it, included 11 Labour MPs, Green MP Caroline Lucas and the SNP’s Angus MacNeil. All his colleagues abstained as did the Lib Dems.