EXCL Jeremy Corbyn calls Shadow Cabinet away day to step up election plans

Jeremy Corbyn has called a special meeting of the Shadow Cabinet to step up Labour's preparations for a snap election, PoliticsHome can reveal.



The away day will take place in Salford, Manchester, on 2 September - the day before Parliament returns after the summer recess.

That will increase speculation that Labour plans to table a motion of no confidence in the Government that week as it tries to force a general election before the UK is due to leave the EU on 31 October.

Members of the Shadow Cabinet were informed of the get-together earlier this week.

The move comes amid reports suggesting Boris Johnson is planning to hold a general election within days of Brexit happening.

It has also been claimed that the Prime Minister would effectively ignore any vote of no confidence and stay in office in the run-up to a fresh poll.

But John McDonnell has insisted that Mr Corbyn would have the right to form an alternative government, saying he would put the Labour leader "in a cab to Buckingham Palace" to demand the Queen makes him Prime Minister.

Mr Corbyn has said Labour will table a confidence motion at an "appropriate very early time" after the summer recess.

Mr McDonnell said: "We then have two weeks in which the existing Prime Minister or anybody else can determine whether they can secure a majority in Parliament for a government.

"That’s when we’ll be saying Labour can form a majority government and we expect others to come behind us to do that, so it becomes a caretaker government. And part of that will be to say: yes, we will block a no deal and go back to the country in a referendum.

"So that’s the choice that other parties and other MPs will have. Will they support Labour going into government under Jeremy Corbyn to prevent a no deal? I think there will be a majority government."