Corbyn's backing means election is on

  • Author, Laura Kuenssberg
  • Role, Political editor

Now it is on.

The Labour leader has just issued a statement pressing the button on his election campaign.

In a couple of sentences, giving Boris Johnson the election he craves.

There may still be wrangling about the dates.

Labour and the smaller opposition parties might still have a battle with the government in Parliament this afternoon over when the best or worst time is to ask all of us to go to the ballot boxes.

But Labour has, against the wishes of many of its MPs, shifted to supporting a December election and with that, it means we are on for the first December general election in decades.

The prime minister hopes this will give him a victory at the polls that would allow him rapidly to get his Brexit deal through Parliament and the UK out of the EU.

The Labour leader hopes for a souped-up version of his move forward at the 2017 election that would mean, contrary to the view of many of his own MPs, his project can continue and build.

The Lib Dems and SNP hope for a chance to stop Brexit happening, and expand their own political positions at a junction for the country.

But none of the parties can be remotely sure of what will happen next.

An election at this time of year is unusual and surprising.

The results, when they finally come in in several weeks time, may be the same.

Take a breath though, and don't put this in your diary until the votes in Parliament to back the election have actually been counted too.