Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week announced he would prorogue Parliament ahead of the Queen’s Speech on October 14, which could effectively limit the time MPs will get to debate Brexit, sparking fury among MPs wanting to halt a no deal. Mr Johnson’s team have also hinted to Tory MPs – those who fail to vote with the Government this week will have the whip withdrawn. Speaking on LBC, the Leader of the House, Jacob Rees-Mogg, explained that “no reasonable Conservative” could back Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn with the legislative agenda over Prime Minister Mr Johnson.

LBC host, Nick Ferrari said: “We look forward, of course, to events that are looming up for tomorrow and this extraordinary series of headlines that the Prime Minister seems to be saying ‘back me or I will sack you’.

“Do we have a Conservative Party or a bunch of conscripts Jacob Rees-Mogg?”

The Leader of the House replied: “No, we have a Conservative Party that was elected on a manifesto, and the manifesto said we would leave the European Union and no deal was better than a bad deal.

“This manifesto was approved, was accepted as part of collective responsibility by a number of people who are suggesting they want to give Jeremy Corbyn control of the legislative agenda.

“That cannot be something that any reasonable Conservative can do.”

Do we have a Conservative Party or a bunch of conscripts Jacob Rees-Mogg?

Nick Ferrari

He added: “It says no deal is better than a bad deal and we will be out of the single market and the customs union.

“We have got a withdrawal agreement that would keep us in the single market and customs union at the moment via the Irish backstop.

“The previous Government failed to deliver on the manifesto. Boris Johnson is delivering on the manifesto.

“People who were involved in approving that manifesto, really ought to stick to it.”

Mr Rees-Mogg insisted it was important for the Government to “establish the confidence of the House of Commons” and a vote would be “essentially a confidence matter”.

Mr Rees-Mogg continued: “Who should control the legislative agenda, Jeremy Corbyn or Boris Johnson? Is there really a Conservative in this country who thinks Jeremy Corbyn should control our legislative agenda?”

Mr Johnson’s decision last week sparked outrage with MPs and campaigners against a no deal exit claiming the move was a “constitutional outrage”.

Conservative Party rebels have since been warned they will be deselected if Tory lawmakers vote against the Government to try to block a no deal exit this week.

A senior source from the Tory whips office said: “The whips are telling Conservative MPs a very simple message – if they fail to vote with the Government on Tuesday they will be destroying the Government’s negotiating position and handing control of Parliament to Jeremy Corbyn.

“Any Conservative MP who does this will have the whip withdrawn and will not stand as Conservative candidates in an election.”

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, former justice minister David Gauke said it appeared to be Mr Johnson’s “strategy” to “lose this week and then seek a general election having removed those of us who are not against Brexit”.

Mr Gauke also claimed there would be a 95 percent chance of a no deal exit if Parliament does not block no deal this week.

The Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn, has warned the party will do everything in its power to block a no deal exit.

Mr Corbyn will use a speech in Salford on Monday to claim the prospect of quitting the EU without an agreement next month is adding to the “damage” done by Tory rule.

He is expected to say: “Today the shadow cabinet will be meeting to finalise our plans to stop the disaster of no-deal ahead of the return of Parliament tomorrow.

“We are working with other parties to do everything necessary to pull our country back from the brink. Like all progressive change, democracy was won from below, it wasn’t handed down from above.

“So, when a prime minister who hasn’t won an election and who doesn’t have a majority decrees that Parliament will be shut down because he knows his plan for a disastrous no deal doesn’t have the votes we say that is an attack on democracy which will be resisted.”

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