MPs have rejected Boris Johnson’s third attempt to force an early general election to end the Brexit deadlock.

The Prime Minister had urged the Commons to back his plan for a poll on December 12 – which would have provided time to pass the Withdrawal Agreement Bill before the campaign starts.

But MPs voted 299 to 70, short of the two-thirds majority needed, in favour of a snap election.

Mr Johnson is now expected to make a fresh attempt to drive legislation through the Commons which would only require a simple majority, and set aside the provisions of the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act.

It comes after the Liberal Democrats and SNP indicated over the weekend that they would back such an approach if the poll was held on December 9.

When No Deal is off the table, we will back an election so this country can get a government that will:

✔ Properly fund our public services.
✔ Reduce grotesque poverty and inequality.
✔ Tackle the climate crisis with a Green Industrial Revolution. pic.twitter.com/peMBtdbiEX
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) October 28, 2019

.@BorisJohnson responds to the defeat of the Government's general election vote: "We will not allow this paralysis to continue and one way or another, we must proceed straight to an election." pic.twitter.com/KA1zsEQAx3
— BrexitCentral (@BrexitCentral) October 28, 2019

SNP says they need guarantee that govt won't bring back Brexit bill in order to vote for the election .. govt source suggests they want to dissolve on Weds so chances of bill coming back anyway have gone
— Laura Kuenssberg (@bbclaurak) October 28, 2019

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told MPs the Government will give notice of a short Bill for a general election on 12th December.#BrexitExtension | https://t.co/sv3MZUm41c pic.twitter.com/EMUibgzHIN
— talkRADIO (@talkRADIO) October 28, 2019