Brexit: Corbyn and other opposition leaders agree plan to stop no-deal ‘catastrophe’

Efforts to agree on installing a caretaker prime minister appear to have been put on ice

Jeremy Corbyn and opposition leaders have united behind plans to use legislation to block a no-deal Brexit, as proposals for a vote of no confidence in the prime minister were put on ice.

At crunch talks convened by the Labour leader, senior MPs war-gamed legislative tactics to thwart no deal, which they hope to employ when parliament returns next week.

Opposition party leaders described the meeting as “positive”, after being reassured by Mr Corbyn that Labour would throw its weight into Commons battles rather than calling a premature vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson.

The Independent previously revealed that senior MPs involved in the efforts to thwart no deal believe the most likely chance of success would be a bill compelling the prime minister to seek an extension from the EU if there is no deal in place by Halloween.

On a frenetic day in Westminster, Mr Corbyn also appealed to more than 116 Conservative and independent MPs – including Theresa May and Philip Hammond – to work with him to stop a chaotic Brexit.

Elsewhere, cross-party MPs met at Church House – the wartime home of parliament – to sign a declaration to do “whatever is necessary” to stop no deal.

Action has ramped up significantly in Westminster ahead of the end of the summer recess, as MPs prepare to challenge the prime minister over his “do or die” pledge to leave the EU on 31 October.

Mr Corbyn gathered the Westminster leaders of the SNP, the Liberal Democrats, Plaid Cymru, the Greens and the Independent Group for Change in his Commons office for an hour-long meeting on Tuesday.

Sources in the room said the MPs spoke briefly about calling a vote of no confidence in the prime minister but dedicated most of the hour-long meeting to discussing tactics to create a legal barrier to no deal.

Further talks will be held in the coming days.

In a joint statement, the parties said: “Jeremy Corbyn outlined the legal advice he has received from shadow attorney general Shami Chakrabarti which calls Boris Johnson’s plans to suspend parliament to force through a no deal ‘the gravest abuse of power and attack upon UK constitutional principle in living memory’.

“The attendees agreed that Boris Johnson has shown himself open to using anti-democratic means to force through no deal.

“The attendees agreed on the urgency to act together to find practical ways to prevent no deal, including the possibility of passing legislation and a vote of no confidence.”

The show of unity comes after the Liberal Democrats poured cold water over Labour’s plan to topple the government and appoint Mr Corbyn as a temporary prime minister.

Jo Swinson, the Lib Dem leader, called for the parties to unite behind another candidate, such as Tory grandee Ken Clarke or Labour’s Harriet Harman.

Speaking to The Independent after the talks, Plaid Cymru Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts said the meeting had a “very positive spirit”.

She said: “What we agreed upon is we will work upon a legislative approach and that we will be implementing that as soon as we can [next week].”

Ms Saville Roberts added party leaders are “still discussing the actual methodology” of how the legislative route might work.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said opposition leaders were “committing to work together effectively to prevent a catastrophic no-deal”.

He told The Independent outside the meeting: “This is a crisis. We have to stop no deal and there was a real willingness from all of us in that room to work together.”

Mr Blackford confirmed the MPs intend to “bring forward legislation to remove that cliff edge of a no-deal Brexit at the end of October”.

He added: “We know we have a majority in parliament against no deal. We have to give voice to that.”

Ms Swinson said the focus of the opposition should be the pursuit of legislative means to stop a no-deal Brexit. She added they would act as “soon as possible”.

Anna Soubry, leader of the Independent Group for Change, said: “The legislative route is the way to stop it … We are not going to go into all the detail on it but it is about parliament doing its job, about MPs doing our job, representing our constituents.

“We need legislation to stop us crashing off a cliff on 31 October and we have agreed on that and we would support it.”

Afterwards, Mr Corbyn also fired off an appeal to his former opponent, Ms May, and a string of ex-cabinet ministers who were sacked by Mr Johnson for opposing a chaotic exit from the EU.

The Labour leader said: “We know there is a majority in parliament against no deal.

“As MPs, we’ve voted against no deal on a number of occasions and we did so in the largest number on March 27 of this year.

“As you were one of 116 Conservative or independent MPs who voted against no deal that day and are not on the government frontbench, I am writing to you to offer to work together, in a collegiate, cross-party spirit, to find a practical way to prevent no deal.”

A No 10 source said the plots to stop a no-deal Brexit were “utterly perverse” and accused Mr Corbyn and his allies of “actively seeking to sabotage the UK’s position”.

The source said: “This coalition of anti-democrats should be honest with the British public, they are against us leaving the EU no matter what.

“The government believes politicians don’t get to choose which public votes they respect.”

Meanwhile, Sajid Javid sparked fresh speculation over the prospect of an early general election when his first speech as chancellor was cancelled.

Mr Javid had been due to give an address in Birmingham on Wednesday but the Treasury said it had been rescheduled, as the spending review was to be fast-tracked to early September.