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Labour will back general election if a Brexit extension is agreed, Shadow Justice Secretary Richard Burgon has said.

It comes after Downing St last night confirmed that Boris Johnson would push MPs for a snap poll if the EU agreed an expected three month extension to Brexit - until January 31 2020.

It means Britain could be headed to the polls before Christmas.

Appearing on ITV's Good Morning Britain Mr Burgon said: "We want a general election , we want to get the Tories out as soon as possible."

On the Today programme he added: "As soon as no-deal is off the table we want a general election to get the Tories out, we are not in the business of leaving the Conservatives in power."

Last night European Council President Donald Tusk said he would call on the EU27 to back Britain's call for the three month extension.

(Image: Daily Mirror)

The Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said that the government would call a poll "if that's the only way of resolving this Brexit deadlock, then yes, bring it on".

Last night a No. 10 source said the government would call an election.

They said: "Parliament and Corbyn have repeatedly voted for delay.

"On Saturday Parliament asked for a delay until January and today Parliament blew its last chance.

"If Parliament’s delay is agreed by Brussels, then the only way the country can move on is with an election.

"This Parliament is broken. The public will have to choose whether they want to get Brexit done with Boris or whether they want to spend 2020 having two referendums on Brexit and Scotland with Corbyn."

It comes as Britain faces fresh chaos as the Prime Minister was forced to abandon his "do or die" October 31 deadline vow and ask the EU for a further delay to the UK's departure.

(Image: PA)

Earlier today Boris Johnson lost a vote on his preferred timetable for passing Brexit legislation.

He was forced to pause the process and to ask the EU to decide on what he called Parliament's request for a further delay to Britain's departure.

The PM "paused" his Brexit deal after the House of Commons refused to accept a bid to rush it through in three days.

The day's events sees the PM forced to abandon his "do or die" vows to leave the EU by the October 31 deadline - in just nine days' time.

Downing Street earlier today refused to confirm the UK would still leave by the hard-line deadline of Halloween .

(Image: PA)

Instead Mr Johnson said: "One way or another we will leave the EU with this deal to which the House has just given its assent."

The development saw EU chief Donald Tusk confirm he would ask the bloc's 27 members states to agree to Mr Johnson's forced request for a three-month delay, in an effort to avoid a no-deal Brexit.

The EU members do not have to accept the request, and can force a shorter extension.

Mr Johnson was backed into reluctantly requesting the extension on Saturday, after MPs forced his hand.

(Image: PA)

MPs today voted by 322 to 308 to defeat the Government's programme motion to pass Mr Johnson's Withdrawal Agreement, which would put his Brexit deal into law.

Earlier, he had received some backing from MPs after they voted on a second reading- making Mr Johnson's Brexit deal the first to pass the initial Commons hurdle since the 2016 Leave vote.

Even 19 Labour MPs who broke ranks with their party's opposition to the deal to back it at its second reading today.

Jeremy Corbyn offered to enter talks with Mr Johnson about the way forward following today's result as the humiliated Tory leader was forced to abandon his timetable.

Labour's leader said: "Work with all of us to agree a reasonable timetable, and I suspect this House will vote to debate, scrutinise – and I hope amend – the detail of this Bill."