Jeremy Corbyn has fired off an appeal to 116 Tory and independent MPs, including Theresa May and Philip Hammond, to join forces with Labour to block a no-deal Brexit.

In a highly unusual move, the Labour leader offered an olive branch to his former opponent, Ms May, and a string of ex-cabinet ministers, who were sacked by Boris Johnson for opposing a chaotic exit from the EU.

Mr Corbyn cited new legal advice from shadow home secretary Shami Chakrabati, who said suspending parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit would be "the gravest abuse of power and attack upon UK constitutional principle in living memory".

It comes after Mr Corbyn held crunch talks with opposition leaders in Westminster, where MPs agreed to try to block a no-deal Brexit using legislation rather than installing a caretaker prime minister.

In his letter to MPs, the Labour leader said: "We know there is a majority in parliament against no deal.

"As MPs, we've voted against no deal on a number of occasions and we did so in the largest number on March 27 of this year.

"As you were one of 116 Conservative or independent MPs who voted against no deal that day and are not on the government frontbench, I am writing to you to offer to work together, in a collegiate, cross-party spirit, to find a practical way to prevent no deal."

Mr Corbyn said he recognised that "not all colleagues may agree" but urged them to join a dialogue with the opposition parties to help efforts to block a disorderly departure from the EU.

It comes as opposition parties united around a plan to stop no deal using legislation, rather than calling a no-confidence vote in the prime minister that could end in failure.

While a confidence motion remains on the table, Labour appears to have put its plan to install Mr Corbyn in No10 on ice after the idea drew opposition from the Liberal Democrats and Tory MPs.

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Meanwhile, some 160 MPs have signed a declaration to support stopping a no-deal Brexit "using whatever mechanism possible" at a meeting at Church House, the wartime home of the Houses of Parliament.

The text of the "Church House Declaration" reads: "Shutting down parliament would be an undemocratic outrage at such a crucial moment for our country, and a historic constitutional crisis.

"Any attempt to prevent parliament sitting, to force through a no-deal Brexit, will be met by strong and widespread democratic resistance.