Johnson urges opposition to agree to UK election

PM Johnson hopes that pushing an early election would break the stalemate in Parliament that has blocked a Brexit deal.

Buckinghamshire: UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday urged Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn to man up and back holding a general election on December 12.

Britain is scheduled to leave the 28-nation bloc on October 31 but has asked for a three-month extension to that deadline as Johnson struggles to get lawmakers to pass his Brexit divorce deal.

European Union ambassadors agreed on Friday that the bloc should grant Britain's request for another extension to the Brexit deadline but have not yet figured out how long that delay should be.

Speaking from Milton Keynes, north of London on Friday, Johnson said the UK government was waiting for the EU to decide what it wanted to do.

"We could leave on October 31st. Unfortunately, it depends on what the EU says," said Johnson.

It was up to opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn to decide whether he wants to get this deal done or not, he added.

He hopes that pushing an early election would break the stalemate in Parliament that has blocked a Brexit deal.

Johnson said he would ask lawmakers to vote Monday on calling a general election on December 12.

He said he would give some extra time to get Brexit done if and only if the Labour Party would agree to an election in December.

"Time for Corbyn. Man up. Let's have an election on December the 12th," Johnson urged.