UK MPs to hold 2nd vote on early election

London, Sep 9 (IANS) The UK government will on Monday ask MPs to agree to a snap election for a second time, in what could be one of Parliament's last acts before being suspended.

Downing Street said Monday's vote, which comes ahead of Parliament shutdown on Friday, was the opposition Labour Party's last chance to secure an early election and have the chance to win its own mandate from the public to delay Brexit, the BBC reported.

The motion, which requires the support of two-thirds of MPs, was defeated last week and is expected to fail again.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson had first called for a snap election after MPs, including rebel Conservatives, voted in favour of a bill requiring him to seek an extension to the Brexit deadline of October 31 if a deal is not reached before October 19.

The bill is set to gain royal assent and become law on Monday, but has been criticised by ministers as "lousy" and weakening the government's negotiating position with Brussels.

Ministers have said they will "test to the limit" the new law aimed at averting no-deal.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the government would abide by the law but will "look very carefully" at its "interpretation" of the legislation.

Monday's development comes after after Amber Rudd resigned as Work and Pensions Secretary during the weekend, saying the government was spending 80-90 per cent of its time on no-deal planning rather than trying to reach an agreement with the European Union (EU).

She told the BBC on Saturday there was "very little evidence" the government would get a new Brexit deal, and when she asked for details of the efforts she received a "one-page summary".

As of now, the UK is scheduled to leave the EU on October 31 with or without a deal as per Johnson.