MPs have agreed in principle there should be a general election in December.

Boris Johnson's Bill calling for a snap poll on December 12 passed its first parliamentary hurdle without a formal vote.

Commons Speaker John Bercow said it was clear an "overwhelming majority" of MPs were in support of the legislation at second reading.

Amendments backed by the SNP and Labour calling for the franchise to be extended to 16 and 17-year-olds and to EU nationals living in the UK were rejected for consideration.

But MPs could amend the Bill to change the date of the election to December 9, as Labour and the Liberal Democrats want.

The legislation is now in its final committee stage in the House of Commons, with final votes expected to take place around 8pm.

If MPs sign off on the election, it will be the first time British voters have gone to the polls in December since 1923.

It comes after Jeremy Corbyn threw his weight behind a pre-Christmas election on Tuesday morning, joining the Tory, SNP and Lib Dem leaderships.