British PM Johnson calls for December 12 election to break Brexit deadlock

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday that he was asking parliament to approve a national election to take place on December 12 as part of his efforts to ensure Britain leaves the European Union. Johnson said in a letter to opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn that if the European Union offers Britain a Brexit delay to January 31 then he would seek to pass legislation to ratify his exit deal by November 6 and would make available all possible time to do so.

This would mean Brexit could be completed before a December 12 election. If parliament, which earlier this week rejected Johnson's accelerated timetable for the legislation, did not ratify the deal by November 6, the issue would have to be resolved in the election, Johnson said.