Jeremy Corbyn has refused to back Boris Johnson’s motion calling for a general election – much to the mockery of the Brexiteers. MPs turned down the motion for a general election, leaving the Prime Minister 136 votes short of the number he needed. Mr Johnson needed two-thirds of all MPs to vote in favour under the Fixed Term Parliaments Act, but the result only saw 298 vote for the motion and 56 against.

The Labour Party line was to abstain on the motion, leaving several senior Brexiteers to claim Mr Corbyn was “running scared” of an election.

Bernard Jenkins said: “Is there some way of tabling a motion that this house has no confidence in Her Majesty’s Opposition?”

This prompted the Commons to erupt in laughter, even making Commons Speaker John Bercow smile. 

Boris Johnson added: “It’s the first time in history the Opposition has shown confidence in the Government.”

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Mr Johnson motioned to Labour’s front bench, where Mr Corbyn was missing, and said the Labour leader should “reflect on his position”.

He said Corbyn “has become the first leader of the opposition in the democratic history of our country to refuse the invitation of an election”.

The Prime Minister added: “I can only speculate as to the reason behind his hesitation. The obvious conclusion is he does not think he can win.”

Tory Brexiteer Nigel Evans later added that it was unprecedented for a leader of the opposition to be “running scared of an election”.

Earlier in the evening, MPs backed a bill aimed at blocking a no deal Brexit if Mr Johnson had not agreed a plan with the EU ahead of the 31 October deadline.

Mr Johnson said the bill “scuppered” negotiations and the only way forward now was an election.

He said the bill – which forces him to ask for an extension to the Brexit deadline – left him unable to negotiate a deal.

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In response, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accused the Mr Johnson of “playing a disingenuous game” to force though a no deal Brexit.

Both the SNP and the Liberal Democrats also criticised the prime minister’s motion as a plot to make sure the UK left the EU without a deal.

Responding to the defeat tonight, Liberal Democrats leader Jo Swinson said her party “cannot let Boris Johnson use an election to tip the country into a dangerous no-deal Brexit, which neither the people nor their representatives support”.

She said the party “relish the opportunity to fight an election” but that stopping a no deal is their priority.

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