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Pro-EU Tory MPs have hurled themselves into war with Boris Johnson as they face down his threat to cast them out of the party this week.

The Prime Minister is considering yanking away the Tory whip from more than a dozen rebels if they vote to block no-deal Brexit on Thursday.

But ringleader MP David Gauke today dared the PM to dump him - saying he's ready to become an independent in the "national interest".

The former Cabinet minister was due to meet Mr Johnson for crunch talks in his Commons office tomorrow afternoon, along with ex-Chancellor Philip Hammond and other Tories who backed a letter against no-deal.

Yet after Mr Gauke's bombshell interview the meeting was abruptly cancelled - with No10 instead offering a one-to-one summit with Mr Hammond.

Mr Gauke told Sky News: "Sometimes there is a point where it is a judgement between your own personal interests and the national interests, and the national interest has to come first.

"I hope it doesn’t come to that. I hope cooler and calmer heads will look at this and think trying to split the Conservative Party in this way is not a sensible way forward for the Conservative Party, or indeed the country."

Reports suggest 20 Tory former ministers are prepared to stand as independent Conservatives at the next election if they are cast out. That would be a historic split for the Conservatives and the country.

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Former Chancellor Philip Hammond said suspending the whip would be "staggeringly hypocritical" because "8 members of the current cabinet have defied the party whip this year."

He also refused to back down, tweeting: "I want to honour our 2017 manifesto which promised a smooth and orderly exit and a deep and special partnership with the EU. Not an undemocratic No Deal."

MPs will table a law on Tuesday to stop Boris Johnson crashing the UK out of the EU on October 31 without a deal.

The Prime Minister, who has a majority of one, faces defeat if the MPs can pass the law in the tiny period of time before he suspends Parliament for five weeks, from around September 12.

Tens of thousands took to streets across Britain yesterday to demand Mr Johnson stop the the month-long shutdown "coup".

(Image: Christopher Furlong) (Image: ZUMAPRESS.com / MEGA)

Yet Mr Johnson has responded with hardline tactics - with top ally Michael Gove today suggesting he could ignore the law.

Quizzed four times on whether he'd obey the Act of Parliament, Cabinet Office minister Mr Gove refused to say he would. Instead he said: “Let’s see what the legislation says.

"You’re asking me about a pig in a poke. And I will wait to see what legislation the opposition may try to bring forward."

Crucially the Prime Minister is also refusing to rule out treating the no-deal vote as a "confidence" issue.

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That would mean any Tory MP who sides with opposition MPs and votes against no-deal would have the whip withdrawn, be suspended, and replaced with a Johnson loyalist candidate at the next election.

Mr Johnson told the Sunday Times: "I just say to everybody in the country, including everyone in parliament, the fundamental choice is this.

"Are you going to side with Jeremy Corbyn and those who want to cancel the referendum?

"Are you going to side with those who want to scrub the democratic verdict of the people - and plunge this country into chaos?"

A Government spokesperson said: "All options for party management are under consideration."

The warning is an echo of David Cameron's tweet four years ago that the country faced "a simple and inescapable choice - stability and strong Government with me, or chaos with Ed Miliband."

(Image: PA)

The PM's warning - made just before the 2015 election - has been held up ever since as proof that Tory warnings of Labour "chaos" are hollow.

Labour's Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell today said opposition MPs are prepared to work together to block no-deal Brexit.

Branding the move “grubby” and “unprecedented”, Mr McDonnell told Sky News: "People have given their lives to secure that parliamentary democracy... It’s like a dictator what Boris Johnson is doing.

"Saying I’m going to close down Parliament because Parliament might vote against me. We can’t accept that. Just imagine if Jeremy Corbyn had done that - the outrage on Conservative benches?”

Tory Mr Gauke added it was "wrong" to suspend Parliament for so long and the government must not "run the clock down" to no-deal.

"This is a very very bad outcome for the country and I don’t think it has a mandate from the 2016 referendum, and I don’t think it should happen unless Parliament consents to it," he said.

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(Image: Christopher Furlong)

Warning Parliament needs to take action in the "next few days", he said: "If we don't act in this week then I think it’s likely Parliament will be excluded from this process.”

The Tory war will reach fever pitch tomorrow as Mr Gauke, the former Justice Secretary, and other top Tory Remainers meet the PM.

The Remainers are set to demand evidence that Mr Johnson still wants a deal with the EU in the 60 days remaining to Brexit.

Michael Gove - the Tory in charge of no-deal planning - inflamed fears today as he admitted some food prices may go up in no-deal.

Insisting some food prices will also fall, the Cabinet Office minister told the BBC: "Everyone will have the food they need... There will be no shortages of fresh food."

(Image: Jeff Overs/BBC via Getty Images)

It comes after Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, warned he is "not optimistic" about avoiding a no-deal situation.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Barnier added the Irish backstop clause in the Brexit deal, which Mr Johnson wants scrapped, is "the maximum amount of flexibility that the EU can offer".

Even if Boris Johnson does manage to scrap the backstop, pro-Brexit Tories are now warning that will not be enough.

Hardline pro-Brexit Tory Suella Braverman today said the Prime Minister must ensure changes "do not stop" with the backstop alone.

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The deadlock points towards Mr Johnson being forced to call a snap general election - a move he refused to rule out today in a Sunday Times interview.

The Sun on Sunday reports the Prime Minister is prepared to trigger a general election within days if MPs succeed in blocking no-deal.

Or he could have an election foisted on him if he loses a no confidence vote in the House of Commons.

Brexit Countdown PM says we leave in 0 Days 0 Hours 0 minutes 0 Seconds

Lib Dem MP Layla Moran today warned there will no longer be enough time to hold talks with the EU before the October 31 deadline. She said there must be an extension.

Labour's Brexit chief Sir Keir Starmer also warned there would have to be an extension if there's not a deal by October 31.

And he said Labour would not allow Mr Johnson to let the UK crash out of the EU without a deal during a snap election campaign.

Jeremy Corbyn said next week is the "last chance" to stop no-deal.

Labour's leader added: "People are determined that they will not allow a phoney populist cabal in Downing Street, in hock to the vested interests of the richest, to deny them their democratic voice."

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But former Brexiteer rebel Jacob Rees-Mogg - now a key member of Boris Johnson's government - slammed the pro-EU MPs today as "deceitful" and "underhand".

The Commons Leader dared Remainers to trigger an election - saying: "They dare not use the confidence procedures because they know Jeremy Corbyn is too unpopular."

A Deltapoll survey of 2,028 people for the Mail on Sunday today gives the Tories a rating of 35% - 11 points ahead of Labour on 24%. It put the Lib Dems on 18% and Brexit Party on 14%.

Michael Gove claimed the outrage against proroguing Parliament was “a mite disingenuous” because there are “only four days parliament might have been sitting when it won’t be sitting”.

But that comment is itself disingenuous- because MPs were prepared to cancel their own recess to sit continuously before Brexit.

And Mr Gove squirmed as he was confronted with his own previous opposition to proroguing Parliament.

Boris Johnson's breakneck countdown to Brexit September 3: Parliament returns after summer break. MPs' chance to vote no confidence in government or block no-deal Brexit

Parliament returns after summer break. MPs' chance to vote no confidence in government or block no-deal Brexit September 4: Chancellor announces Whitehall spending for 2020/21

Chancellor announces Whitehall spending for 2020/21 September 12: Parliament suspended

Parliament suspended September 22-25: Labour Party conference

Labour Party conference September 23-27: Boris Johnson speaks at UN General Assembly in this week and could visit the White House

Boris Johnson speaks at UN General Assembly in this week and could visit the White House September 29 - October 2: Tory Party conference

Tory Party conference October 14: Parliament returns with Queen's Speech - but is then snarled up in a week of debates

Parliament returns with Queen's Speech - but is then snarled up in a week of debates October 17: European Council meeting. The last chance to get a Brexit deal with 27 EU leaders

European Council meeting. The last chance to get a Brexit deal with 27 EU leaders October 21-22: Votes on the Queen's Speech

Votes on the Queen's Speech Final week: Vote on any plan Boris Johnson gets for Brexit

Vote on any plan Boris Johnson gets for Brexit October 31: Brexit happens, with or without a deal

The comments came as controversy over the abrupt sacking of Chancellor Sajid Javid's special adviser Sonia Khan by the PM's key aide Dominic Cummings continued.

It is understood that the Chancellor was not informed of the dismissal beforehand and Ms Khan was escorted out of Downing Street by a police officer after being fired.

Yvette Cooper, the Labour chair of the House of Commons home affairs select committee, told The Observer: "Government advisers must not abuse their power by drawing the police into heavy- handed political stunts. This needs to be reviewed by the cabinet secretary and the Metropolitan police straight away."

Meanwhile, Mr Johnson said that Wednesday's planned departmental funding announcement for 2020/2021 would see the "biggest, most generous spending review since the height of Tony Blair's New Labour".

Local authorities will get a £3.5 billion boost, including £1 billion for social care, in the spending round, according to the Sunday Times.