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The Attorney General has threatened "resignations" if Boris Johnson refuses to write a letter asking the EU to delay Brexit.

Geoffrey Cox sounded the alarm amid a furious row over whether the Prime Minister will defy the law to ram through a no-deal departure on October 31.

MPs passed a law last month that says the PM must ask for a three-month delay if there's no Brexit deal by October 19.

Court papers on Friday finally confirmed he would comply with the 'Benn Act', and send a delay letter to 27 EU leaders.

Yet the Prime Minister then personally intervened on Twitter to say: "New deal or no deal - but no delay." And today a Cabinet minister yet again refused to confirm the PM will send the crucial letter.

(Image: PA) (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

Now the Mail on Sunday reports the issue has become the subject of a row at the highest levels of government.

According to the newspaper, Attorney General Geoffrey Cox had a "heated" exchange with Mr Johnson last Wednesday over court papers that promise to send the delay letter.

Mr Cox is said to have warned that unless the government made clear it would obey the law, there would be "resignations".

The Mirror's sources did not deny the Mail on Sunday report.

Under the 'Benn Act', Boris Johnson must ask EU leaders for a three-month delay on October 19 if he fails to get a deal.

Yet he has refused to confirm personally that he'll do so.

And there are reports he will send the letter but try to "sabotage" the EU at the same time, by vetoing its 2021-27 budget, asking leaders to turn down the delay, or sending a renegade British commissioner like Nigel Farage to Brussels.

Shadow Attorney General Shami Chakrabarti today said the Prime Minister "speaks with forked tongue" by saying two different things at the same time.

(Image: Leon Neal)

She told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "He seems to have a very casual relationship with the law.

"He seems to think he’s above the law as the Supreme Court showed us a few weeks ago. He is not. No one is above the law, even a British Prime Minister."

The court papers emerged on Friday as part of a legal challenge by businessman Vince Dale, SNP MP Joanna Cherry QC and Jolyon Maugham QC.

Their QC Aidan O'Neill told the court that submissions from the government revealed the prime minister "will send a letter... no later than 19 October" to the EU, asking for delay.

Yet key Cabinet allies today again refused to confirm the Prime Minister will send the letter to delay.

Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay refused to guarantee the letter will be sent, instead telling the BBC: "I can absolutely confirm the government will abide by the law."

And quizzed by Sky News, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick also repeatedly refused to confirm the letter will be sent.

He said: "We've said that as any Government would do we will comply with the law... however all of our efforts now are focused on trying to get a deal.

(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

"And we've just put forward some, I think, very reasonable and thoughtful proposals to the EU - they try to answer the questions that had dogged the previous deal prepared by Theresa May ."

Pressed again, Mr Jenrick said: "The Prime Minister has been very clear that he is not going to extend Article 50 - I don't think he personally could have been any clearer.

"We have said that we will comply with the law however what we're going to do now is work as hard as we possibly can to secure that deal."

(Image: Hollie Adams)

Mr Jenrick insisted the Government has "no intention" of extending Article 50 to delay Britain's departure from the EU if a deal cannot be agreed.

"We think the UK needs to move forward," he said.

The Cabinet minister went on to say: "Boris Johnson and this Government will do absolutely everything in our power to deliver Brexit on October 31.

"But we have no plan as to what might happen if Parliament doesn't allow us to get Brexit done on October 31 because we intend to get it done on that date and that's the sole focus of this Government at the moment."

Today Boris Johnson insisted Britain will pack its bags and walk out at the end of the month, but admitted Europe may not "cheerily wave us off" with a deal.

He unveiled a new Brexit plan involving "two borders" in Northern Ireland last week.

But the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier poured scorn on the chances of the new proposal succeeding.

Mr Barnier told an event in Paris: "If they do not change, I do not believe, on the basis of the mandate I have been given by the EU27, that we can advance."

Irish premier Leo Varadkar said Boris Johnson could secure a Brexit deal in the next two weeks - but the current proposals do not form the basis for "deeper negotiations".

Leo Varadkar said next Friday would be a reasonable cut-off point to get a deal done ahead of an October 17 EU summit.

Meanwhile the UK is seeking advice from Australia on developing a points-based immigration system post-Brexit, Priti Patel said.

The Home Secretary discussed the scheme with her Australian counterpart Peter Dutton when in the United States last week.