Get behind new election to break Brexit deadlock

♦ Opposition leader to call no confidence vote 

♦ UK parliament to vote on PM's deal on January 15 

British Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn yesterday called on lawmakers to help his opposition party "break the deadlock" over Brexit and support his call for a motion of no confidence in the government to trigger an election.

Pledging to vote against Prime Minister Theresa May's deal next week, Corbyn said only a Labour government could secure an accord with the European Union that would re-unite Britain, a move that would, he acknowledged, most probably require an extension of the Brexit talks with Brussels.

Parliament is deadlocked over how to proceed with Brexit, Britain's biggest shift in foreign and trade policy in more than 40 years, and is expected to vote against May's deal on Tuesday plunging the country's departure from the EU into deeper uncertainty.

With less than three months before Britain leaves the EU, May has warned lawmakers if they do vote down her deal, they would be opening the way for a disorderly exit or for Brexit never to happen at all.

"If the government cannot pass its most important legislation then there must be a general election at the earliest opportunity," Corbyn told journalists and workers.

"Clearly, Labour does not have enough MPs in parliament to win a confidence vote on its own. So members across the House (of Commons) should vote with us to break the deadlock," he said, adding Labour would call a vote of no confidence when it had the greatest chance of success.

He said only an election would give the winning party "a renewed mandate to negotiate a better deal" that could pass through parliament, adding an election and renegotiation would most probably mean an extension to Article 50, which began Britain's divorce proceedings in March 2017.

Any extension would require the agreement of the other 27 EU member states.