"When it gets Royal Assent it will be a surrender bill and that is why the prime minister has said that, especially once this bill is in place, that we need to move forward as a country, we need to deliver on Brexit, and that's why unfortunately I think we are in the position where we need a general election," Javid said in a television interview.

Javid also said the proposed Oct. 15 date for an election announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson would probably be changed because a bill to hold an early election was blocked by parliament on Wednesday.