Brexit power grab: Corbyn hatches plot to seize power from Boris Johnson and delay EU exit

Mr Corbyn is planning to delay Brexit still further by securing an extension to the Article 50process, thus taking the UK past the October 31 deadline by which Mr Johnson has vowed, “do or die”, to take the UK out of the European Union. The Labour leader’s plans were outlined in a letter to Westminster’s opposition leaders and key Tory rebels, including Dominic Grieve and Sir Oliver Letwin.

Mr Corbyn wrote: “This Government has no mandate for no deal, and the 2016 EU referendum provided no mandate for no deal.

“I therefore intend to table a vote of no confidence at the earliest opportunity when we can be confident of success.

“Following a successful vote of no confidence in the Government, I would then, as Leader of the Opposition, seek the confidence of the house for a strictly time-limited temporary government with the aim of calling a general election, and securing the necessary extension of Article 50 to do so.”

The letter has been sent to the SNP’s Ian Blackford, Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville Roberts and Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson.

Mr Corbyn concludes by stressing his wish to discuss the proposals with the various party leaders further to “end the uncertainty and disarray”.

In theory, Mr Corbyn could secure his proposed temporary administration by winning the support of the House of Commons after defeating Mr Johnson with the majority of MPs backing a vote of no confidence in the Government.

Then, as Prime Minister, he could table a motion for an early general election which would succeed with the support of two-thirds of the seats in the Commons, in the same fashion as Theresa May’s doomed vote in 2017.

Mr Corbyn will hope the promise of his government only being temporary will be enough to secure the support of his critics who otherwise want to halt a no deal.

Ms Saville Roberts welcomed the Labour leader’s letter, saying Plaid Cymru is open to a unity government regardless of who leads it.

However, she said it must have “stopping Brexit” as its first priority.

She added: “It’s extremely disappointing, therefore, that Mr Corbyn cannot bring himself to take the best possible pro-European option – a referendum first, followed by a general election.”

Also receiving the letter were Green MP Caroline Lucas, Tory MP Dame Caroline Spelman and Nick Boles, the independent MP who quit the Conservatives over Brexit.

Mr Corbyn made his move hours after Mr Johnson accused MPs of “collaborating” to block Brexit.

Speaking during a self-styled “People’s PMQs” from his Downing Street desk, Mr Johnson said: “There’s a terrible kind of collaboration, as it were, going on between people who think they can block Brexit in Parliament and our European friends.

“And our European friends are not moving in their willingness to compromise, they’re not compromising at all on the Withdrawal Agreement even though it’s been thrown out three times, they’re sticking to every letter, every comma of the Withdrawal Agreement – including the backstop – because they still think Brexit can be blocked in Parliament.

“The awful thing is the longer that goes on, the more likely it is of course that we will be forced to leave with a no-deal Brexit.

“That’s not what I want, it’s not what we’re aiming for but we need our European friends to compromise.

“The more they think there’s a chance that Brexit can be blocked in Parliament, the more adamant they are in sticking to their position.”