Chuka Umunna conceded the chances of securing a second Brexit vote are dwindling as the Labour Party refused a request to join forces with the Liberal Democrats on an amendment to the Queen’s Speech. Leader Jo Swinson pleaded with Jeremy Corbyn to back her but was snubbed by the Opposition leader and Speaker John Bercow ultimately did not select her revision. Speaking to the BBC, Mr Umunna said: “Increasingly, it looks difficult to see how we get a people’s vote in this Parliament.

“We’ll keep pressing for it but with 19 Labour MPs voting for Boris Johnson’s hard Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn having taken no action against them at all, it looks increasingly unlikely we are going to get the numbers for a people’s vote.

“In fact, Alastair Campbell, who is a key figure in the People’s Vote campaign, is suggesting it might only be after a general election that we can secure that.”

Mr Umunna, who quit the Labour Party earlier this year in protest over their Brexit strategy, continued: “For us, the priority is a people’s vote, if we can’t get that then it’s absolutely essential that we get that extension from the EU Council and then we will have to consider the position.

“The key thing for us is, if we are in an election moment, that election day comes before any exit day that is scheduled for Brexit.”

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Ahead of the Queen’s Speech vote on Thursday, Boris Johnson extended an olive branch to Parliament offering MPs extra time to debate on his Brexit deal before a December election.

The Prime Minister said he would try to pass his Brexit Bill through the Commons should the European Union offer a short extension to the deadline after he was forced to ask for a postponement under the Benn Act.

But the Government confirmed they will table a motion for a general election under the Fixed-Term Parliament Act on Monday if Brussels agrees to a longer delay until January 31, 2020.

Outlining his plan in a letter to Mr Corbyn, Mr Johnson urged MPs to “take responsibility” and deliver on the will of the people. 

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The Prime Minister wrote: “It is our duty to end this nightmare and provide the country with a solution as soon as we reasonably can.

“The EU may offer only a short extension, say to 15 or 30 November. This would, obviously, be my preference but I was legally prevented by Parliament and the courts from suggesting this.

“If you commit to voting for an election next week (in the event of the EU offering a delay until January 31 and the Government accepting, as it is legally forced to do by Parliament), then we will make available all possible time between now and November 6 for the WAV to be discussed and voted through, including Fridays, weekends, the earliest starts and the latest finishes.”

He continued: “It is time for MPs finally to take responsibility, More people voted Leave in 2016 than have ever voted for anything, Parliament promised to respect the referendum result. But Parliament has repeatedly avoided doing this.

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“Given this situation, we must give the voters the chance to resolve this situation as soon as reasonably possible before the next deadline of 31 January.”

Responding to Mr Johnson’s letter, Labour’s shadow Leader of the House Valerie Vaz said Labour would back an election “once no deal is ruled out and if the extension allows”.

This comes after MPs voted 310 to 294 in favour of the legislative agenda the Prime Minister asked Queen Elizabeth to announce on his behalf last week at the state opening of Parliament.

If MPs vote to hold a general election on December 12, it would be the first time in nearly 100 years that the country has gone to the polls so close to Christmas.

The last December general election took place in 1923 under Conservative Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin.

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