Boris Johnson fails in calling early general election

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has failed to call an early general action, after falling short of the required two-thirds parliamentary majority.

"This House can no longer keep this country hostage," he told MPs, saying Parliament had become "dysfunctional".

A total of 299 MPs voted in support of his proposal, with 70 against, but he did not secure the backing of the two-thirds of the 650 MPs required by law to pass the motion.

The vote was taken after the European Union agreed to grant a Brexit extension to the end of January.

Johnson said that he will being persisting with his efforts to get an early election, as he stated that the “current deadlock” must be broken.

The Liberal Democrats and SNP are offering to back an election on Monday, 9 December instead, which they say will prevent any chance of the PM's Brexit deal being approved in the short time before Parliament is dissolved.

Both have proposed their own short bill, but it remains to be seen whether they will support the government’s legislation.

No. 10 has said that it will be “almost the same”.

Negotiations between the two sides over a compromise date are reportedly taking place in Westminster.