United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson has attacked Jeremy Corbyn and the British Labour Party, describing them as being “consumed by cowardice” after blocking a general election.
On Thursday morning (NZ Time), a motion from the Government calling for a general election on October 15 was defeated after it failed to get a two-thirds majority in the British House of Commons.
Several rebel Conservative Party MPs, the Liberal Democrats and others opposed the motion.
The bulk of the Labour Party abstained from the vote, with Corbyn, the party’s leader, saying he believed in having an election, but not until legislation passed on Thursday blocking a no-deal Brexit had been given the Royal Assent.
Johnson has now hit out, saying Corbyn’s position was hypocritical and questioning if a “chicken suit” should be brought out for the Labour leader.
“Not only does he want to cancel the referendum, not only does he want to extend the UK’s membership of the EU at the behest of the EU… but also he now refuses, contrary to what I think is the constitutional duty of a leader of an opposition, he refuses to take part in a general election,” Johnson told ITV’s Robert Peston following the dramatic showdown on Thursday.
“I have never known a time in modern history when the leader of the Opposition has refused to participate in an election. I can only invite our viewers to speculate as to why he may be so disinclined. Does somebody need to get out the chicken suit?”
Source:newshub.co.nz