When a British government loses control over parliament, the natural remedy is to hold a general election. Why prolong everyone’s agony? But despite Theresa May having now failed twice to pass her signature Brexit deal, there is no sign she is willing to go back to the country.
Jeremy Corbyn is keen for an early election to break the deadlock and others are beginning to agree with him. Asked this week what would happen if the government’s deal was rejected for a second time, a cabinet minister replied: ‘an election in two weeks’ time’.
It’s a sentiment shared by Charles Walker, the vice chair of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tories. Without a majority for a deal, he says, ‘as sure as night follows day there will be a general election within a matter of days or weeks’. Failure to hold an election, he says, leaves ‘ministers who operate with impunity’ and ‘backbenchers at each other’s throats’. ‘The country deserves more,’ he says.
Yet an election would be dicey for the Tories. MPs are indeed at each other’s throats, on a daily basis. Many government aides are fed up. They’re more likely to go on holiday than hit the campaign trail.
The Conservative manifesto would be an enormous headache. ‘What would we say we’ve achieved?’ asks one minister. ‘The Brexit policy would need to be something we would have to try and agree with the EU instead of May’s deal.’ It could be the ‘Malthouse Compromise’, which would bin her deal, and instead offer Brexit divorce payments to the EU and guarantees on citizens’ rights in exchange for a transition period. Given that the manifesto would promote a hypothetical deal, voters may be sceptical about putting their trust in it.
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