No. 10 Wants Snap Elections to Scare MPs Into Backing May's Brexit Deal – BoJo

The former UK foreign secretary and staunch Brexiteer said it would be “lunacy” to call for fresh elections whilst Tory MPs remained divided over the EU withdrawal agreement. 

Mr. Johnson said in his weekly Telegraph column that he would like to meet Conservatives arguing for fresh elections and “shake them warmly by the throat”.   

Tory MPs have begun booking printing houses for election materials and ratcheted up spending on digital adverts to prepare for a 6 June snap election, according to the Daily Mail.

"On the most important issue facing the country, Tory MPs would not have a clue what to say, and the Government’s position would fall apart," Mr. Johnson said. "Perhaps there is no plan for an election; perhaps it is just a scare tactic designed to get MPs to vote for the PM’s appalling deal.” 

"But if someone in Tory HQ genuinely thinks it would be a good idea, they should be despatched on secondment to Venezuela or Zimbabwe or somewhere they can do less damage."  

But the allegations were shot down by a top Cabinet member. "The last thing this country needs is a general election," UK home secretary Sajid Javid told the BBC. "The people will never forgive us for it."  

But a new Opinium poll for the Observer revealed that support for Labour fell to 34 percent, down six points from 40 percent, with Tory support jumping from 37 to 41 percent in a fortnight, earning Conservatives a seven-point lead 

Mrs. May has faced major setbacks since calling for a general election in 2017, which backfired after Labour gained 21 seats in Tory and Liberal Democrat constituencies and Tories losing 22 seats. The Prime Minister was also humiliated after the crucial 'meaningful' Commons vote on 15 January, where her Brexit agreement with Brussels was defeated 432 to 202, in what has repeatedly been named the worst defeat in Parliamentary history.