Brexit: Jeremy Corbyn warns next week is ‘last chance’ to stop no deal amid large-scale protests

Jeremy Corbyn has warned that next week is the last chance to stop a no-deal Brexit, as tens of thousands of demonstrators turned out to protest Boris Johnson’s plan to suspend parliament.

Ahead of a seismic week in Westminster, the Labour leader declared his party would do “everything we can” to prevent the prime minister from crashing the UK out of the EU on 31 October.

Rebel MPs are braced for fraught Brexit battles when parliament returns on Tuesday, after Mr Johnson’s shock decision to prorogue parliament left MPs with only days to act.

The cross-party alliance is poised for an attempt to wrest control of the parliamentary timetable and introduce legislation, with Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson confirming such a bill has been drafted.

MPs used a similar process earlier this year, seizing control of the Commons order paper to table an anti no-deal bill, which passed by a single vote, by Labour’s Yvette Cooper and Tory MP Sir Oliver Letwin.

The warning from Mr Corbyn comes as large-scale protests took place across the country, with demonstrators shouting “shame on you” and “stop the coup” outside Downing Street.

Sir Keir Starmer, Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary, said next week was “almost certainly the last chance” for MPs to act.

“What happens next week is for real,” he told The Times.

Speaking on a visit to Scotland, Mr Corbyn echoed his comments, saying: “I’m sure he is correct because Keir has worked extremely hard as our shadow Brexit secretary.

“Yes, it is the chance and we will do absolutely everything we can to prevent a no-deal Brexit and the prime minister taking us into the hands of Donald Trump and a trade deal with the USA.

“That is the real agenda of the prime minister.”

He said “a lot of work is being done in preparation” but he would not give more details ahead of next week, when he will summon the shadow cabinet to a special meeting in Salford.

Meanwhile, Philip Hammond is understood to be leading a group of anti no-deal MPs to meet Mr Johnson on Monday.

The former chancellor, who has been outspoken in his opposition to both prorogation and no deal, is working closely with other ex-cabinet ministers such as David Gauke and Rory Stewart – dubbed the Gaukeward Squad.

He described reports that Tory MPs could be sacked if they vote to block no deal next week as “staggeringly hypocritical”, prompting speculation he was prepared to defy the government.

Mr Hammond tweeted: “If true, this would be staggeringly hypocritical: 8 members of the current cabinet have defied the party whip this year.

“I want to honour our 2017 manifesto which promised a “smooth and orderly” exit and a “deep and special partnership” with the EU. Not an undemocratic no deal.”

Downing Street would not be drawn on the reports, but a spokesperson said: “The prime minister hopes that all MPs will support him and recognise the result of the referendum.”

Mr Stewart, a former Tory leadership hopeful, said about a dozen Conservative MPs could rebel against the government next week.

“I’m a proud Conservative, I support the Conservative Party. I just think a no-deal Brexit would be a mistake and I have to stop it happening,” he told Sky News.

Asked how many of his colleagues would rebel, he said: “Maybe a dozen but that will be enough. There is only a majority of one at the moment.”

Labour peers have been placed on a three-line whip from Wednesday to Friday, as opposition parties brace for attempts to filibuster any draft bill by Tory Brexiteers.

While there is a comfortable majority against no deal in the Lords, peers are expecting to pull all-nighters as the government tries to challenge the passage of the bill.

Insiders believe more Tories could come on side due to outrage over the prorogation of parliament.

A Labour source in the Lords told The Independent: “If the Commons does pass the bill, the government should be in no doubt that the Lords will do all it can to protect the will of the elected house.”

As tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets to show their fury at Mr Johnson’s prorogation plan, senior cabinet ministers were forced to row in behind the prime minister.

Sajid Javid, the chancellor, insisted he was “very comfortable” with the decision – despite describing prorogation as “trashing democracy” during the Tory leadership contest.

He also described his relationship with the prime minister as “fantastic”, following reports of tensions with No10 after the abrupt sacking of one of his special advisers by Dominic Cummings, Mr Johnson’s top aide.

Matt Hancock, the health secretary, also had to row back on his comments that suspending parliament “goes against everything that those men who waded on to those beaches fought and died for [on D-Day]”.

Asked to explain his apparent change of stance, Mr Hancock said: “During the leadership debate there was a discussion of an idea that some people brought forward that from the new prime minister taking over, up to and through 1 November, parliament will be prorogued in order to drive through what would effectively be a no-deal Brexit.

“And I didn’t support that idea. And I spoke about it in quite passionate terms.

“There’s some people who are saying that parliament will be suspended. Well it doesn’t feel like it to me.”