With Brexit talks on the point of collapse, Labour is expected to table a no-confidence vote as soon as it secures a Brexit extension. Experts believe that Jeremy Corbyn will try to topple the Prime Minister as early as October 21. However, Downing Street officials are planning to exploit a loophole in rules that were drawn up 70 years ago to prevent any caretaker Government from taking over.

Known as the Lascelles Principles, the rules were created by Queen Elizabeth’s first Private Secretary, Sir Alan Frederick Lascelles, in 1950 when he served her father, George VI.

The idea behind the rules was to give the monarch the power to refuse a Prime Minister’s request to hold a general election in special circumstances.

One of the conditions for withholding this consent is if a general election would be “detrimental to the national economy.”

Boris Johnson’s senior advisers believe that they can advise the Queen that any attempt to remove Prime Minister would endanger the economy and unleash chaos throughout the country.

A number 10 source told The Sun: “Boris won’t resign even if he loses a no confidence vote, and it is not within the sovereign’s constitutional powers to make him.

“The Lascelles Principles make this clear. The Prime Minister will advise the Queen of that and she must follow her own Prime Minister’s advice. That’s how this country works.”

He added that the Prime Minister was determined to deliver Brexit by October 31 by “all means necessary.”

Earlier today the odds on the UK leaving the EU without a deal increased as talks between Downing Street and Brussels broke down in acrimony.

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A Number 10 source accused the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, of making a deal all but impossible for the UK.

According to the official, Ms Merkel’s demands that Northern Ireland has to stay in a customs union with the EU made a deal look “essentially impossible, not just now but forever”.

The Government is adamant it is doing all in its powers to secure a Brexit deal.

However, the anonymous Downing Street official briefed journalists today that during a telephone conversation with the Prime Minister earlier today, the German Chancellor “made clear a deal is overwhelmingly unlikely and she thinks the EU has a veto on us leaving the customs union”.

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“Merkel said that if Germany wanted to leave the EU they could do it no problem, but the UK cannot leave without leaving Northern Ireland behind in a customs union and in full alignment forever.

“She said Ireland is the government’s special problem and Ireland must at least have a veto on NI leaving.

“Merkel said the PM should tell Northern Ireland it must stay in full alignment forever but that even this would not eliminate customs issues.”

Arlene Foster, the leader of the DUP, issued a blistering attack on the EU.

She said that Brussels intentions had finally been exposed and that all along the EU had wanted to trap Northern Ireland in the customs union.

She said: “For the United Kingdom to be asked to leave a part of its sovereign territory in a foreign organisation of which the UK would no longer be a part and over which we would have no say whatsoever is beyond crazy.”

She added that “no UK government could ever concede such a surrender.”

In response, a Brussels official said they did not recognise the comments attributed to Ms Merkel as being the agreed policy of the EU.

She said: “The EU’s position has not changed. We want a deal. We are working for a deal with the UK and in no circumstances will we accept that the EU wants to harm the Good Friday agreement.”

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