Speaking to TalkRADIO, the Labour MP, who led the Labour Leave campaign ahead of the 2016 Brexit referendum, argued that in the event of an October general election Conservatives MPs could be saved by the damage the Liberal Democrats would unleash on the Labour Party in Tory marginal seats. The move, he claimed, could potentially allow either Boris Johnson to reach a majority or the opposite result on a hung parliament with Jeremy Corbyn’s party as the largest in the House.

However, Mr Mann claimed the second outcome will eventually force the country to go back to the polls for a second time before May 2020.

He said: “I think that the likelihood is that they (the Conservatives) will lose a few, they might lose one or two in London, possible, but that depends on the Liberals.

”The Liberals might actually save them. If the Liberals take X number of votes from Labour, in say Iain Duncan Smith’s seat, then Labour doesn’t actually get what it needs even if Iain’s votes come down a bit.

“So there will be some shock results just on the maths.

I think Labour will find an excuse on Thursday to vote for an election

John Mann

“That suggests possibly Boris getting a majority, possibly and more likely a hung parliament, and if it goes badly wrong still a hung parliament.

“Jeremy has the largest party.

“And then there will be another election pretty soon as well.

“Possibly before May. So I think two elections are likely.”

It comes as MPs on Tuesday voted to take control of the parliamentary agenda in order to present the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) (No.6) which would bind Boris Johnson to request an extension of the Brexit deadline until January 2020 if the Prime Minister fails to deliver on a deal by October.

Mr Johnson lost the vote 328 to 301 after MP Philip Lee defected to the Liberal Democrats ahead of the vote and another 21 rebel MPs sided with opposition parties in their bid to stop no deal Brexit.

The Government later withdrew the whip from all 21.

Following that defeat, Mr Johnson announced that he would present a motion calling for a general election in the wake of the Commons vote.

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The Prime Minister said: “The Leader of the Opposition has been begging for an election for two years, he has crowds of supporters outside calling for an election.

“I don’t want an election but if MPs vote tomorrow to stop negotiations and compel another pointless delay to Brexit – potentially for years – then that would be the only way to resolve this.

“And I can confirm that we are tonight tabling a motion under the Fixed Terms Parliament Act.”

If the snap election motion is passed, it is likely that the vote will be held on October 15 ahead of the current EU exit date of October 31 and the next EU summit on October 17.

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