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On Monday evening, lawmakers in the U.K. rejected the government’s request to hold a general election on December 12. Under the rules, two-thirds of Parliament, or 434 MPs, needed to approve the motion for it to pass, but it got only 299 as opposition lawmakers declined the opportunity to take on Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the ballot box.

Johnson’s defeat means he will now seek a different route to an election — by passing a law with a simple majority that bypasses the 2011 Fixed-term Parliaments Act.

To do so, he would need the support of opposition parties such as the Scottish National Party (SNP) and the Liberal Democrats, which have been pushing for a Dec. 9 election, along with a guarantee that Johnson will not resume debate on the divorce deal he has agreed with Brussels.

“Later on this evening, the government will give notice of presentation for a short bill for an election on the 12th of December so we can finally get Brexit done,” Johnson told Parliament on Monday.

The second-largest party in Parliament, Labour, and its leader Jeremy Corbyn had previously said they will not back an election unless the possibility of a no-deal Brexit is removed.

Going to the polls is viewed by the Conservative-led government as the best way to secure a strong-enough hold over Parliament that can, in turn, smooth the passage of its Brexit plan. Since 2017, the Conservative Party has needed the votes of Northern Ireland’s DUP (Democratic Unionist Party) to hold a slender House of Commons majority.

A consensus of polls suggests that the Conservatives would likely improve its position if a general election was held in the current political atmosphere.

Naturally, opposition lawmakers are therefore split as to whether an election is a good idea. Some claim the U.K. government will use a fresh mandate to force through a no deal, while others questioned the granting of a pre-Christmas election that Johnson looks well-placed to win.