Brexit: Split at top of Labour as key figures urge Jeremy Corbyn to slam brakes on early election

Keir Starmer and others challenge Labour leader to fully nail down Article 50 extension first – delaying poll until November at earliest

Senior Labour MPs are piling pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to block a general election until the EU has agreed to delay Brexit – which would postpone the poll beyond October.

Keir Starmer, the party’s Brexit spokesperson, is among key figures urging the Labour leader to toughen his stance, which is to allow a snap election once the bill to block a no-deal exit has passed.

A split is opening up at the top of the party, after Jeremy Corbyn’s spokesperson said he would back a poll after the legislation becomes law, probably on Monday – allowing it to take place on Boris Johnson’s chosen date of 15 October.

Critics of the policy fear it would not properly nail down an extension to Article 50, which requires the agreement of all 27 other EU countries, probably at a summit later in October.

They also believe holding back would leave Mr Johnson to “stew in his own juice”, as one put it – by being forced into the humiliation of seeking the delay to Brexit he has repeatedly ruled out.

Sir Keir went public on his preference in the Commons chamber, when Ben Bradshaw, a pro-EU Labour backbencher, urged him not to “fall into the trap being set by the prime minister”.

He replied: “We will keep our focus on the task in hand, which is to ensure that we do not leave the EU without a deal – and that requires the passing and implementation of this act.”

Just an hour earlier, Mr Corbyn’s spokesperson had confirmed he wanted a quicker election – confident Labour would win and be in power to prevent a no-deal Brexit on 31 October.

“We're confident the position of the prime minister is far more unstable in parliament and in the country than he and his supporters seem to think,” the spokesperson insisted.

Hilary Benn, the influential author of the bill to stop a no deal, sided with Sir Keir, as he introduced the legislation ahead of a vote on Wednesday evening.

“We must in my opinion secure that extension to Article 50 otherwise there is a risk that the election would result in us leaving without a deal.”

(Statista)

And Clive Lewis, a Labour shadow minister, said: “We should be cautious, we should wait to see that the European Council has definitely agreed that we will get that extension – see it in writing.”

But Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP leader, hit out at Labour’s caution, tweeting: “It's starting to feel like Labour doesn't want an election at all ... and leaving this PM in place knowing he'll try every trick in book to get what he wants would be irresponsible.

“Opposition must get bill through and then seek to force election BEFORE parliament prorogued.”

SNP support could be enough to deliver a 15 October election if – after defeat under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act tonight – Mr Johnson tries another route next week.

He could bring forward a bill to overturn that act, which would require a simple majority rather than the support of two-thirds of MPs.

Later, John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, also backed Sir Keir, saying: “We need to make sure that we are absolutely guaranteed that it [the extension] will be implemented.

“So we are looking at all the other options we have to protect ourselves before we go for a general election – a belt and braces approach.”