Johnson tells Corbyn to 'man up' and back December 12 general election

  • Video report by ITV News Political Correspondent Libby Weiner

Boris Johnson has told Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to "man up" and accept his proposal of a general election on December 12.

Mr Johnson said he is willing to give extra time for key Brexit legislation to be debated - but it would come at the price on Britain heading to polls in the weeks before Christmas.

He added: "Time for Corbyn [to] man up, let's have an election on December 12."

The prime minister's comments come as European ambassadors have agreed an extension to the UK's withdrawal process is needed.

The Labour leader earlier said his party will support a general election - but only if the prime minister "takes no-deal off the table first".

Speaking to ITV's This Morning, he said: "My position is we've got the get no-deal taken off the table first. It would be catastrophic to jobs and businesses in Britain, it would be very damaging to Northern Ireland."

It came as European ambassadors agreed a Brexit extension is needed, with a diplomat saying they will decide on its length next week.

Asked if he would support a poll if the EU decided to extend Britain's membership until January 31, Mr Corbyn said: "Providing the prime minister comes to Parliament on Monday and makes it absolutely clear he is going to make sure that there is no crash out - because his deal includes the possibility of a no-deal exit.

"He's going to have to do that because that's how Parliament works: we've got to hold him to account. I think a no-deal exit is very dangerous. If he comes on Monday and says that, OK."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson hit back at Mr Corbyn's party, accusing it of being "split from top to bottom" over an election.

Speaking from Milton Keynes University Hospital, the prime minister put the deal in the opposition court.

He said: "It's up to Jeremy Corbyn to decide whether he wants to get this deal done or not.

"We'll make it very, very clear - as the chancellor rightly says - we will give some extra time to get this thing done if and only if the Labour party will agree to a general election on December 12.

"As far as I can see, the Labour Party is split from top to bottom. They can't work out if they're in favour of an election which is the thing they're supposed to have been campaigning for for the last three-and-a-half years."

On an extension to the Brexit process, the PM deferred to the EU, saying: "We're waiting for our EU friends and partners to decide what they want to do. It's in their power now to decide whether or not to have an extension."

He went on to say: "As things stand we can leave on October 31. Parliament, as you know, has decided that they want to ask Brussels to keep us in the EU

"That's not my policy. It's not something I support. I'm totally against it. We should be leaving on October 31.

"At the moment the EU is trying to make up its mind what to do. We should be leaving on October 31."

Earlier on Friday, Chancellor Sajid Javid said the stalemate over Brexit had reduced Westminster to a "zombie parliament", and that it was now up to Labour to end the deadlock by agreeing to go back to the country.

He said Downing Street would push "again and again" for a general election if the opposition denies Boris Johnson a pre-Christmas poll.