An election is only answer if EU grants Brexit delay until January - source

LONDON, Oct 22 (Reuters) - A new election is the only way to move on from Britain's Brexit crisis if the European Union agrees to a delay until January, a source in Prime Minister Boris Johnson's office said on Tuesday, describing parliament as "totally broken".

Earlier on Tuesday, Johnson lost a vote on his preferred timetable for passing Brexit legislation, leading him to pause the process and to ask the EU to decide on what he called parliament's request for a further delay to Britain's departure.

"On Saturday, parliament asked for a delay until January and today parliament blew its last chance. If parliament's delay is agreed by Brussels, then the only way the country can move on is with an election," the source said.

"This parliament is totally broken. The public will have to choose whether they want to get Brexit done with Boris or whether they want to spend 2020 having two referendums on Brexit and Scotland with (opposition Labour leader Jeremy) Corbyn." (Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; editing by Costas Pitas)