VOTERS look set to head to the polls after parliament vote overwhelmingly in favour of an early general election.

MPs finally backed Boris Johnson’s demands to go to the country in an attempt to end the Brexit deadlock after three previous attempts.

The Commons voted by 438 to 20 at third reading to approve the one-page Bill enabling the election to be held on December 12.

Earlier, MPs voted by 315 to 295 to reject a Labour amendment for the proposed polling day to be moved to December 9 , three days earlier than ministers wanted.

The vote effectively clears the way for Parliament to be dissolved on November 6, paving the way for an election on December 12.

The opposition parties had wanted to bring forward polling day to cut off any possibility Mr Johnson could make a fresh attempt to ram through his Brexit deal before Parliament is dissolved.

The one-page Bill did not require a two-thirds “super majority” to get it through.

Barrow and Furness MP John Woodcock, said: “It is right we have an election to break the damaging Brexit impasse, even if it has to come just before Christmas when people would rather open their door to carol singers than canvassers.

"I am going to be spending the last few days of this parliament trying to make as much progress as possible on things that can help our community.

“We’ve just won a major breakthrough on the marina village which needs to be discussed before Parliament is dissolved and next week I am due to see the life sciences minister about the future of the GSK site in Ulverston.”

Copeland MP Trudy Harrison said earlier: “We will bring forward a Bill for a general election to be held on December 12 – so we can elect a new Parliament, get Brexit done and let the country move on. We didn’t want an election but this Parliament has forced another delay on Brexit which is really damaging the country.”

Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron said: “Both Parliament and the country have been completely paralysed by the chaos of the past three years.

“The needs of our communities here in South Cumbria on issues like the NHS, schools and police have been ignored by the Conservative Government as they continue to navel gaze over Brexit, and the only thing that they and Labour offer to the public is years of more of the same.

"The Lib Dems provide a real alternative as the only party campaigning to make the chaos stop and get back to focusing on the issues that matter to local people.”