Westminster is braced for a showdown that could lead to a snap election in the UK as a cross-party alliance takes on British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
A cross-party group will attempt to use a motion today which would allow them to control the Commons business on Wednesday, guaranteeing time to debate a new law to block a no-deal Brexit.
This could be achieved through an emergency debate being sought from Commons Speaker John Bercow under the rules of standing order number 24, commonly called SO24.
The legislation would require a delay to Brexit unless there was a deal or Parliament explicitly backed leaving the EU without one by October 19.
Here is the full text of the motion.
Under the terms of the Bill, the British Government must ask the European Union for a delay to Brexit until January 31, 2020, if no agreement has been reached and MPs have not agreed to a no-deal exit.
If the European Council proposes an extension to a different date then the Prime Minister must accept that extension within two days, unless the House of Commons rejects it.
A senior Government source said Mr Johnson could go to the country on October 14 – unusually for Westminster elections, that is a Monday rather than a Thursday – if he is defeated today.
That would require the support of two-thirds of MPs under the provisions of the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, but some are reportedly suspicious the Prime Minister would seek to alter the election date to delay it until after Brexit.
Boris Johnson needs to continue as prime minister until November 20 to avoid becoming the shortest-serving PM in UK history.
On that date he will overtake George Canning, who clocked up 118 days as prime minister before his death in 1827, and who holds the record for the shortest time in office. Mr Johnson is currently on 41 days.
George Canning served as Tory prime minister between April and August 1827. He is one of a small number of prime ministers to die while still in office.
Canning is also famous for taking part in a duel with a fellow cabinet minister.
The event took place at 6am on September 21, 1809, on Putney Heath in south London, and involved Canning, then foreign secretary, drawing a pistol against minister of war Viscount Castlereagh.
Castlereagh believed Canning had been plotting to get him sacked and challenged him to a duel.
Canning failed to shoot his colleague and in return was wounded by Castlereagh in the thigh.
Meanwhile, Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn said a vote of no confidence is “very much there on the table” as he pledged to “do everything we can to stop” no-deal.
If the vote won the support of a majority of MPs, there would be 14 days for another government to be formed, otherwise Parliament would be dissolved and a general election triggered.
In Edinburgh, another cross-party group of MPs and peers who want to block Parliament’s suspension will have a full hearing of their application today.
