What is really going on in politics? Get our daily email briefing straight to your inbox Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

High Court judges can block Boris Johnson from forcing through a no-deal Brexit , legal advice by Labour's shadow attorney general declares today.

The six-page advice says the courts could grant an "interim injunction" if the Prime Minister suspends Parliament to ram through no-deal on October 31.

Written by lawyer Shami Chakrabarti, the internal document - handed to the Guardian - adds suspending Parliament would be the "gravest abuse of power and attack on UK constitutional principle in living memory".

It comes hours before Jeremy Corbyn holds a crunch summit with opposition leaders on how to prevent Britain crashing out of the EU on October 31.

Mr Corbyn was due to meet the Westminster leaders of the Lib Dems, SNP , Plaid Cymru and Change UK in his Commons office at 11am - exactly a week before MPs return from their summer break.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

The meeting was hit by a row after Labour slammed "petulant" Lib Dems for rejecting Mr Corbyn's plan to become a caretaker Prime Minister.

Now Labour have accepted installing Mr Corbyn as caretaker - which would happen through a no-confidence vote in the government - is not the only option.

Another option could be to seize control of House of Commons business to block no-deal, Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer said.

Sir Keir said he was "very supportive" of the alternative plan - and "next week it comes to the crunch and we've got to have a plan that we can all get behind".

He insisted having a caretaker PM was not "dead in the water" but told the BBC: "We need something with bite, we need something effective and we need to do it straight away when we come back."

And Sir Keir refused to rule out accepting an alternative caretaker PM.

(Image: EPA-EFE/REX)

Jeremy Corbyn insisted Labour will "do everything necessary" to halt a no-deal Brexit and said an "injection of democracy" could come through a new referendum, or a general election.

He added: "In that election, Labour will offer a referendum, with a credible leave option as well as the option to remain.

"But we won't rule out other options that could stop this no-deal disaster in its tracks. I'll discuss all these options with the leaders of other opposition parties.

"I hope we can come to a good working arrangement and bring on board others across Parliament who see the danger of a no-deal crash-out."

On Sunday it emerged Boris Johnson consulted his own attorney general about "proroguing" Parliament to prevent MPs blocking a no-deal Brexit.

Sir Keir urged MPs to "put aside the sort of fantasy politics of who wants this and that", adding: "I was very struck by the suggestion that the Prime Minister has sought legal advice on whether he can suspend Parliament from 9th September through to mid-October.

"Now I know he declaims that, but that is not the sign of a Prime Minister who is confident of getting a deal in the first place or a Prime Minister who thinks he's going to win a battle in Parliament."

On any prorogation, he told Today: "The idea of shutting down Parliament because you think Parliament would defeat you if it was asked to decide on something as serious as no-deal is completely unacceptable ... Well, I think it would be unlawful."

But there was confusion as he added: "Jeremy Corbyn's very clearly said that any outcome now must be subject to a referendum and we would campaign for Remain."

So far Mr Corbyn has stopped short of saying Labour would campaign for Remain, unless a no-deal Brexit was the only alternative.

(Image: PA)

Yet Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan, a Remainer, today claimed suspending Parliament was not on the cards.

She told the BBC: "Downing Street have made it very clear that claims of any sort of prorogation in September are utterly false.

"The Prime Minister has said he's not attracted to these sorts of archaic conventions."

Asked if she would resign if Parliament is suspended, she added: "I'm not planning the ending of my cabinet career at this moment in time."

The talks are urgent because MPs will need to move within days if they want to force a general election before the Brexit deadline.

Even if Labour wins a no-confidence vote in Boris Johnson's government - which has a majority of one - there would be a countdown of about seven or eight weeks to a general election.

Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson warned a November 1 election would be an "outrage" and "clearly a cynical attempt to steal the right to choose from the British people".

(Image: PA)

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas tweeted: "Boris Johnson's intentions are clear: suspending Parliament, a crash out Brexit and blaming MPs for the chaos.

"We will not be bullied. We will not surrender parliamentary sovereignty to the right wing cabal in Number 10.

"MPs must unite to stop this abuse of executive power."

Meanwhile cross-party MPs will sign a "declaration" at Westminster's historic Church House this afternoon on their own separate bids to stop a no-deal Brexit.

Party leaders were expected to turn out, but by this morning Labour had still not decided whether Jeremy Corbyn would attend.

While MPs gather against him, Boris Johnson is reportedly sending his chief Brexit adviser David Frost to Brussels this week to hold fresh talks.

Mr Johnson said at the G7 summit last night he was "marginally" more optimistic about securing a deal.

But he insisted other EU states needed to shift ground - and French President has said the Irish backstop is "indispensable".