Livid Remainers accuse Boris Johnson of staging a ‘coup’: Rebel MPs say they will press ahead with legislation to delay Brexit next week as Dominic Grieve vows to vote WITH Labour if Government faces no confidence vote

• Pro-Remain MPs have agreed to work together to pass a law to delay Brexit
• But their hopes were damaged today as Boris Johnson announced a prorogation
• Philip Hammond accused Mr Johnson of performing a ‘constitutional outrage’ 

Furious opponents of Brexit have urged their fellow Remainers to act fast after Boris Johnson damaged their hopes of preventing No Deal by announcing a five-week suspension of Parliament. 

Pro-Remain MPs could make their move as early as next week when the Commons returns for a very brief sitting before it is prorogued in mid-September. 

A cross-party group led by Jeremy Corbyn has agreed to work together to press for legislation to delay Brexit, but their time is running out. 

Meanwhile Tory rebel Dominic Grieve has said he would back a no-confidence vote against Mr Johnson, which could be tabled by Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn. 

Former Conservative Chancellor Philip Hammond led the Remainer fury today, accusing Boris Johnson of a ‘constitutional outrage’, while Labour’s John McDonnell called it a ‘very British coup’.  

The PM insists the scheduling of a Queen’s Speech is a regular procedural step. 

Remainer fury: Philip Hammond (left) accused Boris Johnson of a ‘constitutional outrage’ while Dominic Grieve (right) has said he would back a no-confidence vote against Mr Johnson

Philip Hammond said it would be ‘profoundly undemocratic’ to prevent Parliament from holding the government to account

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called on Ruth Davidson, the pro-Remain Tory leader in Scotland, to defy her party and back the cross-party effort to stop No Deal. 

‘Unless MPs come together to stop him next week, today will go down in history as a dark one indeed for UK democracy,’ she said. 

‘Given her past statements opposing a No Deal Brexit, it would be good to have confirmation from Ruth Davidson today that all Scots Tory MPs will back the cross party effort next week to stop it – and that they will also oppose Boris Johnson’s attempt to shut down Parliament.’

Alastair Campbell, a former aide to Tony Blair who was thrown out of the Labour Party after backing the Lib Dems earlier this year, also called on rebel Tory MPs to back the cross-party plans. 

Mr Campbell said: ‘Hopefully Tory MPs who thought they could ‘wait and see’ can now see plainly that they need to get behind the legislative plan discussed by Opposition leaders yesterday. Fast.

‘Or play along with Johnson destroying Parliamentary democracy while pretending to ‘take back control’.’

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (left) and Tony Blair’s former aide Alastair Campbell (right) also urged Remainers to act fast 

How could MPs seize control of the House of Commons and pass an anti-No Deal law?

Opposition leaders’ plan to seize control of the House of Commons to pass an anti-No Deal law is likely to be reliant on John Bercow to get off the ground. 

Convention dictates that it is the government of the day which sets the agenda in the Commons. 

So if the Remainers are to kickstart their plan they will need the Commons Speaker to bend or break the rules. 

Their plan is likely to then begin with a simple vote on whether there is a majority of MPs in favour of backbenchers taking control of the order paper. 

Assuming there is, MPs will then agree a date in the diary when they will be able to present, debate and vote on draft legislation designed to stop Boris Johnson from taking the UK out of the EU without an agreement. 

The government will fiercely contest such a move but with Mr Johnson’s majority now at just one, it will only take a small rebellion by Tory Europhile MPs to allow the plan to proceed. 

Should the bid to pass a law actually come to fruition the question will then be whether the PM will take any notice of it. 

It has been suggested in the past that he could simply ignore such a move. 

But if he did he would risk triggering an unprecedented constitutional crisis. 

Former Tory MP Nick Boles, who quit the party and became an Independent earlier this year, said: ‘The government’s plan to prorogue Parliament until 14 Oct clarifies the choice for MPs who want to stop a No Deal Brexit.

‘If they don’t support legislative steps next week, there will be no second chance. Hopefully this will stiffen backbones and concentrate minds.’

Jeremy Corbyn has put his hopes of a no-confidence vote on the back burner for the time being but Tory rebel Dominic Grieve said today that he would back one if necessary.  

‘I would wish if at all possible to avoid bringing down a Conservative government on a vote of no confidence but if that is what is ultimately took I would be willing to do it. 

‘I think there are a number of colleagues who have said exactly the same thing.’ 

In a separate Remainer plot in Scotland, a cross-party group of more than 70 MPs and peers are considering seeking an interim interdict in the Court of Session to block prorogation of Parliament.

Scottish Labour MP Ian Murray said that Boris Johnson’s plan to suspend Parliament is ‘an assault on our democracy’.

‘This is the people’s parliament and the people deserve to have their representatives in Parliament during this vital period,’ said Mr Murray.

‘This is the opposite of taking back control. Legal action to prevent the Prime Minister suspending Parliament has already been fast-tracked through the courts and the legal team will now consider the appropriate next steps, including seeking interim orders.’ 

Former Tory MP Nick Boles, who quit the party and became an Independent earlier this year, said: ‘The government’s plan to prorogue Parliament until 14 Oct clarifies the choice for MPs who want to stop a No Deal Brexit’ 

Mr Johnson outlined his decision to prorogue Parliament in a letter sent to every MP this morning

Number 10 insists it is scheduling a Queen’s Speech as Governments habitually do, saying the Brexit process is irrelevant. 

Meanwhile Anna Soubry, another Tory defector, urged her supporters to lobby their MPs. 

‘Our democracy is under threat from a ruthless PM elected by less than 100K Con members. Email your MP now & demand Parliament sits,’ she said on Twitter.  

After talks with other parties yesterday, Mr Corbyn said he would pursue legislation to block No Deal, rather than calling a vote of no confidence. 

To pass such legislation, opposition MPs would have to take control of Commons business, which is usually tightly controlled by the Government. 

That is an unusual step, but it has happened before and Parliamentary rules have proven flexible in recent months. 

Allies of Boris Johnson (pictured in the Commons last month) insist the Queen’s Speech is a regular procedural step but he has already been accused of a ‘constitutional outrage’ 

The PM has asked the Queen (pictured together on the day he was appointed Prime Minister last month) for permission to prorogue Parliament in September

In April, rebel MPs succeeded in passing the so-called Cooper-Letwin Bill to force Theresa May to seek an extension. EU leaders granted a delay until October 31. 

The Commons has also voted in general terms to express its opposition to No Deal, and could do so again. But such votes have no binding legal force.    

Commons Speaker John Bercow, who voted Remain, also reacted with outrage to Mr Johnson’s announcement today. 

‘I have had no contact from the Government, but if the reports that it is seeking to prorogue Parliament are confirmed, this move represents a constitutional outrage,’ Mr Bercow said. 

‘However it is dressed up, it is blindingly obvious that the purpose of prorogation now would be to stop Parliament debating Brexit and performing its duty in shaping a course for the country. 

‘At this time, one of the most challenging periods in our nation’s history, it is vital that our elected Parliament has its say. After all, we live in a parliamentary democracy.

‘Shutting down Parliament would be an offence against the democratic process and the rights of Parliamentarians as the people’s elected representatives.’   

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