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The Brexit fiasco is set for its most sensational twist yet – a secret plan to make Speaker John Bercow prime ­minister.

Politicians of all colours were last night desperately trying to work out a way to topple Boris Johnson and thwart a No Deal Brexit.

SNP chiefs said they’d support Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn as an interim PM following a vote of no confidence – ensuring a general election before Alex Salmond’s criminal trial starts.

But senior figures in the Lib Dems won’t back Corbyn – a position Scottish leader Willie Rennie amplified in an exclusive interview with the Sunday Mail.

That has led to growing support for a “nuclear option” that would appall hardcore Brexiters on the Tory right – a move to put pint–sized Bercow in 10 Downing Street as the head of a national unity government.

Bercow, who was the Conservative MP for Buckingham when he was elected Speaker in 2009, has declared his intention to stand down by the end of next month.

He is seen as having cross-party appeal and someone who can win support across the spectrum from Tory moderates to the Labour left.

Other candidates mentioned as potential leaders of a unity government include Tory grandee Ken Clarke, former home secretary Amber Rudd and Labour’s Margaret Beckett.

Whichever candidate prevails will be asked to confirm an extension the current withdrawal date of October 31 and call a general election – though some voices say the new PM should be more than just a caretaker.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

That would open up the possibility on the new leader being tasked with finding a new Brexit solution.

One senior Labour MP said: “Bercow is definitely a name that is being mentioned more and more behind the scenes and there seems to be growing support even if it’s an outside bet at the moment.

“In many ways he would be the ideal candidate – someone who could command respect from all sides of the House and calmly work with party leaders, with clear limits on his function, to get us out of this mess.

“There is no doubt that part of the appeal is also that this would be the ultimate f*** you to Boris Johnson and the European Research Group (ERG) who loathe Bercow because they believe he has frustrated Brexit at every turn.

“He is perhaps the only Tory with a bigger personality than Johnson himself.

“Bercow has said he is standing down as Speaker but he can remain as an MP, which means he would be eligible for the job, and you have to think that he would be extremely flattered by the offer if it were to come.”

Another said: “It is a genuine option. Bercow ticks a lot of boxes here and would be more palatable to the Lib Dems than Corbyn.

“It would be worth it just to see the total meltdown the extreme Brexiters would go through – they can’t stand John.”

Nicola Sturgeon had made it clear that the SNP would be prepared to back Corbyn.

Yesterday, SNP MP Stewart Hosie told BBC radio the plan was “the only game in town”.

(Image: AFP/Getty Images)

But in an interview with the Sunday Mail, Rennie said there was “no chance” of that becoming reality and said Bercow was now a realistic alternative.

The Scottish Lib Dem leader said: “If John Bercow can command support across all of those interested in stopping a No Deal Brext then he is a credible option.

“The leader has to be someone who can simultaneously command the support of Tories and those on the Labour left. There aren’t many like that and he is one.

“A Corbyn prime ministership is not going to happen.

“There are Conservatives you would need to get on board but they will not, so it is not a credible plan.

“The SNP need to calm down and think this through.

“The danger is that they create a situation in which we crash out of the EU.

“They should know by now that Corbyn isn’t going to work. They may have some other plan but if they have then I haven’t heard it yet.

“As things stand Boris Johnson has already tried to break the law and it didn’t work.

“I don’t think that he will want to try to break the law again.”

Talks between opposition party leaders were continuing yesterday.

So far, they have been reluctant to demand a vote of no-confidence in the Government, fearing that under the terms of the Fixed-Term Parliaments Act, Johnson could, if defeated, delay a general election until after October 31 by which time the UK would be out of the EU.

Meanwhile, Labour called on the Cabinet Secretary to investigate claims Johnson is pursuing a No Deal Brexit to help currency speculators and hedge funds who bankroll the Tories.

(Image: Getty Images)

In a letter to Sir Mark Sedwill, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell expressed concern that big Conservative donors who backed Johnson had a financial interest in a no-deal break.

His intervention came after former chancellor Philip Hammond accused Johnson of failing to pursue negotiations with the EU seriously while speculators were set to make a killing if the UK left without an agreement.

Writing in The Times, Hammond – one of 21 Tory MPs to have the whip withdrawn after rebelling over Brexit – stated he was voicing concerns shared by the Prime Minister’s sister, Rachel Johnson.

He said: “As his sister has reminded us, he is backed by speculators who have bet billions on a hard Brexit – and there is only one outcome that works for them: a crash-out No Deal Brexit that sends the currency tumbling and inflation soaring.”