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Jeremy Corbyn has insisted Labour is ready for a general election despite calls from his own MPs to wait until Brexit is sorted.

The Labour leader said his “priority” was to work towards blocking no-deal, with an election afterwards, despite Tony Blair warning that a vote would be a “trap” for the party.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to table a motion for an early election if the Government is defeated by a cross-party bid to delay the UK's departure from the EU.

Mr Corbyn said Labour is ready to fight if the nation went to the polls, saying: "What Boris Johnson was doing was essentially threatening people, threatening people with a no-deal Brexit if he doesn't get his way in Parliament.

"I know people voted both ways in the referendum, obviously, I know people have different views about these things, obviously, but I simply say this - people didn't vote to lose their jobs, didn't vote to see our environmental standards, workers' rights, consumer protections ripped up.

Addressing a rally in Salford, he added: "They voted because they were angry about many things and they voted as they did to try and protect themselves as best they could.

"I am proud to lead our party, I'm proud to take the fight to the Tories and I will be delighted when the election comes. I'm ready for it, you're ready for it, we're ready for it, we'll take the message out there and above all we will win for the people of this country."

A senior Government source said there will be a move to hold a snap election on October 14 if Parliament votes to take control of the order paper on Tuesday.

MPs are set to vote on the European Union (Withdrawal) (no 6) Bill, which aims to prevent the UK from leaving the EU without an agreement.

The source said MPs will face a “simple choice” tomorrow and said Tories could face being expelled from the party if they vote against the Government.

He said the vote would be treated as though it is a vote of no confidence, and that any Conservative MP voting against the Government would have the whip removed from them.

The source said: “If they vote tomorrow to wreck the negotiation process, to go against giving Britain the ability to negotiate a deal, then they’ll also have to reflect on what comes next.”

They said the Government’s motion on an early General Election would be published before MPs vote on Tuesday so MPs would know the consequences of voting against the Government.

Former Labour prime minister Mr Blair warned that Mr Corbyn and his “small group of acolytes from the far-Left” would fail to win a general election and it is in the Labour Party’s interest to wait until Brexit is sorted.

He told the Institute of Government think tank this morning that the party must avoid an election that would play into Boris Johnson’s hands.

Mr Blair said Labour’s present position in the polls — 11 points behind the Tories according to one — means the party would “struggle” at the ballot box and said its unexpected success at the last election in 2017 had given it too much confidence.

He said: “If the Government tries to force an election now, Labour should vote against it. No opposition leader or party with these poll ratings has won an election. The 2017 result has inoculated the Labour Party against a realistic assessment of where it stands.”

He also predicted the resurgent Liberal Democrats would do well in an election — but not well enough to govern, splitting the opposition vote and delivering a Tory majority.

Mr Blair said an election would be an “elephant trap” for Labour, adding: “When you get to real-world politics, it will be presented as: do you want Boris Johnson delivering Brexit plus a populist Tory programme or do you want to turn the country, its economy and security over to Jeremy Corbyn and his small group of acolytes from the far-Left?”

Mr Corbyn’s remarks came after Mr Johnson, in a statement outside Downing Street on Monday evening, urged MPs not to back an extension to the Brexit deadline of October 31.

The Prime Minister warned that MPs would “chop the legs out” from the UK position if they backed a delay and stressed there were “no circumstances” in which he would personally seek an extension.

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage predicted Boris Johnson will lose Tuesday's vote forcing a Brexit extension and the country will face a general election in October.

Speaking at a rally in Colchester, he said: "They, allied with us, would be unstoppable in the general election. We could get Brexit, we could destroy Corbyn and we would be a free, independent nation.

"Yes, there may be on November 1 one or two bumps in the road, but free and proud we'd be able to get on with the rest of our lives."

He said there will be a "big attempt by Corbyn and others" to secure a Brexit extension on Tuesday.

He added: "Boris Johnson gave a press conference tonight in Downing Street where he said he doesn't want to have a general election and he wants people in his party to toe the line.

"I can't predict how that vote will go tomorrow but I suspect the Prime Minister will lose and I suspect we'll be facing a general election probably to take place on October 14.

"Boris, you can't win without us. Boris, if you go for the withdrawal agreement I'm afraid you will lose, but if you do the right thing and we support you you'll be a national hero in the history of this nation."

The Government source said Tory MPs who voted against the Government could face losing the party whip. But a source close the group of rebel Conservative MPs opposed to a no-deal Brexit said: "It's a bit rich for the Prime Minister to point the finger at colleagues who plan to defy the party whip - colleagues who voted for a deal three times - while he voted with Jeremy Corbyn to inflict the two biggest parliamentary defeats on a government in British history.

"The Prime Minister seems to be doing everything he can to bring about an election, while claiming it's the last thing he wants."