U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has lost a second bid to hold a snap election, making it more likely that he will have to ask the EU for an extension to the current Brexit deadline.
Only 293 out of 650 lawmakers in the lower house of parliament supported the government’s proposal — falling short of the two-thirds majority, or 434 votes, the government needed.
The vote early Tuesday morning was the second time in a week that lawmakers turned down Johnson’s request for an early election. Parliament has been suspended for five weeks and lawmakers will return on Oct. 14.
Addressing the parliament after the result, Johnson said: “This government will not delay Brexit any further.”
He vowed that the government will “press on with negotiating a deal, while preparing to leave without one.”
“I will go to that crucial summit on October the 17th and no matter how many devices this parliament invents to tie my hands, I will strive to get an agreement in the national interest,” Johnson added.
