Speaker John Bercow has vowed to block Boris Johnson from suspending parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit “with every breath in my body”.
Mr Johnson also faced other attacks from more liberal Conservatives on Wednesday.
In a thinly-veiled attack on the Johnson’s adviser Dominic Cummings, former chancellor Philip Hammond accused the PM of listening to “unelected” saboteurs “who pull the strings” of his government.
Despite the internal party schism, Mr Johnson held his very first “People’s PMQs” event on Facebook, answering questions from the comments section – where he faced a barrage of abuse
The PM admitted a no-deal exit had become “more likely”.
He also failed to rule out a general election in order to thwart attempts to block a crash-out from the EU.
And he accused MPs fighting a no-deal – led by Philip Hammond, the former chancellor – of “a terrible collaboration” with Brussels in order to stop Brexit altogether.
“The awful thing is that the longer that goes on, the more likely it is of course that we will be forced to leave with a no-deal Brexit,” Mr Johnson said.
“That’s not what I want, that’s not what we’re aiming for, but we need our European friends to compromise.
Good morning and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of events at Westminster and beyond.
John Bercow has vowed to block Boris Johnson from suspending parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit “with every breath in my body”.
The speaker of the House of Commons told an audience at the Edinburgh Fringe festival on Tuesday that he “strongly” believes the chamber ”must have its way”.
Here are all the details.
John Bercow vows to block Johnson from closing parliament over no-deal Brexit
'If there is an attempt to circumvent, to bypass or – God forbid – to close down parliament, that is anathema to me,' speaker saysFormer chancellor Philip Hammond has argued Boris Johnson would commit a betrayal of the referendum if he enacted a no-deal Brexit by listening to the “unelected” saboteurs “who pull the strings” at No 10.
He said early signs for the Johnson administration “are not encouraging”, warning that demands to abolish the backstop had become a “wrecking” stance over a deal.
“The unelected people who pull the strings of this government know that this is a demand the EU cannot and will not accede to” the Tory backbencher wrote in The Times on Wednesday, in a thinly-veiled attack on the PM's right-hand man Dominic Cummings.
Hammond said he was busting two “great myths” over a no-deal Brexit, arguing it will be damaging to the nation - both economically and to the union - and that voters do not back the move.
“Most people in this country want to see us leave in a smooth and orderly fashion that will not disrupt lives, cost jobs or diminish living standards, whether they voted Leave or Remain in 2016,” he wrote.
“Parliament faithfully reflects the view of that majority and it will make its voice heard. No-deal would be a betrayal of the 2016 referendum result. It must not happen.”
Hammond also accused “some key figures in the government” of “absurdly” suggesting no-deal would boost the UK’s economy.
Jeremy Corbyn is under pressure to back cancelling Brexit altogether if it is the only way to stop the UK crashing out of the EU, as another battle with Labour activists looms.
Here’s our deputy political editor Rob Merrick with the details.
Labour activists tell Corbyn he must back cancelling Brexit to stop UK crashing out with no deal
Local parties demand their leader ‘support revoking Article 50 if necessary’ – paving way for another titanic conference battle to change policyA government source accused Philip Hammond of having done “everything he could to block preparations for leaving and undermined negotiations” when chancellor.
“We are leaving on October 31 and we will be ready to do so despite the former chancellor's best efforts to the contrary,” the source added.
Hammond has fired back on Twitter.
More on Philip Hammond’s escalating feud with No 10. The former chancellor has said trying to “bypass parliament” to force through a no-deal Brexit would “provoke a constitutional crisis”.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Hammond said the PM’s attempts to get the EU to back down on the backstop are a “wrecking tactic”.
He said: “Any idea of trying to bypass Parliament by dissolving it, for example, and holding an election over the exit date would provoke a constitutional crisis.
“We have an unwritten constitution but the principles behind it are very clear and one of them is that an outgoing government should not act in a way to prevent an incoming government from making key decisions.”
Hammond added: “More than 17 million people did not vote to leave the EU with no deal. That is the key point here. There is no mandate for leaving with no deal.
“It is absurd to suggest that the 52 per cent of people that voted to leave the European Union all voted to leave with no deal when, in fact, as the BBC itself has pointed out, during the referendum campaign there was virtually no mention made by the leaders of that campaign at all of the possibility of leaving with no deal.”
More on the Philip Hammond versus No 10 row. Tory MP Iain Duncan Smith has gone on the attack, saying he was “astounded” by Hammond’s “hubris”.
“This man did nothing for us to prepare for leaving with no deal,” the former party leader today the Today programme.
“By not preparing to leave with no deal they may it certain that we have to swallow everything that the European Union gave us.
“So the crime that’s been committed in political terms was committed by him. By not preparing us to leave it meant we had no negotiating position whatsoever and we were taken to the cleaners by the EU.”
Here’s our political correspondent Benjamin Kentish with more on Philip Hammond’s stinging attack on the people “pulling the strings” on no-deal Brexit plans at No 10.
Dominic Cummings targeted as Philip Hammond launches attack on 'unelected people' at Number 10
Former chancellor says no-deal Brexit 'as much of a betrayal of the referendum result' as not leaving EU at allSpeaking about the transport implications of bringing supplies to the UK following Brexit, the transport secretary Grant Shapps said the government has issued an “invitation to tender” for £300m worth of freight.
Shapps said he will be attending the exit operations committee, held in the Cabinet Office, to “plan the detail to make sure that when we do leave – which we will do on 31 October – it is as smooth as it possibly can be”.
The transport secretary said: “It is true that we have issued an invitation to tender for £300m worth of freight, so that actually might be rail, it might be ships.”
Shapps said it “won’t be £300m of airlifting”, saying it will be mainly shipping and rail freight. He added: “If we do leave without a deal, we’ll be ready for it. And your description of £300m of airlifting is completely incorrect, I just want to quash that.
“It is actually a contract, actually an invitation to tender, but not spending a penny at this stage at all.”
Ahead of A-level results day on Thursday, Labour has said that giving students university places based on predicted grades is “deeply unfair”.
The party has vowed to scrap the system of university offers based on predicted A-level grades.
Here’s our education correspondent Eleanor Busby with more.
Labour will scrap university offers based on predicted A-level grades
Giving out degree places on teachers’ predictions is ‘unfair’, shadow education secretary saysScottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has said she hopes Boris Johnson will undergo a character transformation similar to that of Shakespeare’s “young Prince Hal”.
Davidson was speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival when she told the audience her favourite play was Henry V. By the end of the Henriad series, Prince Harry has changed from an irresponsible, wayward youth to a mature and disciplined King of England.
Davidson, who is an English literature graduate, said “no job in the world” can prepare somebody for being PM and wishes for a similar evolution in character for Johnson.
Describing his prospects in office, she said: “I only hope we will see that.”
Ms Davidson acknowledged she has differences of opinion with Mr Johnson – specifically over the dangers of a no-deal Brexit – but called for him to be judged by his actions.
She added: “I’m a strong believer – and was taught in the Territorial Army – you salute the rank, not the person who wears it. The country does well if the prime minister does well, so I want him to do well.”
Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson has increased pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to work with the Liberal Democrats to prevent an “undemocratic and disastrous” no-deal Brexit.
He spoke alongside Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson, who said she would work with Watson despite her consistent criticism of the Labour leadership over his Brexit stance.
Senior figures within Labour have ruled out working in a cross-party alliance to prevent a no-deal departure. But Watson took a different line as he spoke with Swinson at an event by For Our Future’s Sake and Our Future Our Choice, two youth movements campaigning for a second referendum.
“We cannot tolerate an undemocratic and disastrous no-deal being forced on the country by Boris Johnson,” Watson said.
“To stop him, everyone who cares about democracy, our country and our future must work together because there are enough of us – from all parties in parliament – to stop him.”
“Whether you're Liberal Democrats, social democrats or democratic socialists, we are all democrats. And democrats have got to realise in this crisis that we're stronger together if we work together.”
Swinson, who has previously criticised Mr Corbyn as “indecisive” over Brexit, said: “This is no time for tribalism.
“That is why I am pleased to be here today with Tom to show that there is a desire across the political spectrum to stop Boris Johnson’s reckless no-deal Brexit plan and instead deliver a brighter future inside the EU.”
More grim economic news. Inflation in Britain accelerated to 2.1 per cent in July – confounding economists’ forecasts for a slowdown.
UK inflation leaps to 2.1 per cent in shock rise
Rise driven by increases in prices of games, toys, clothing and footwear as well as accommodation servicesIn inflation related news, regulated train fares are set to rise by 2.8 per cent next year, in line with the latest rate of RPI inflation.
The transport secretary Grant Shapps has said this morning he would be willing to “disengage” rail fare rises from RPI – but only if the transport unions agree.
MP Chris Williamson is suing Labour over his re-suspension for claiming the party was “too apologetic”on anti-Semitism.
The strong Corbyn supporter is preparing for court action in a bid to get readmitted to the party.
The Derby North MP said he was hoping to “overturn the unconstitutional decision” to re-impose his suspension from the “party I love”.
A source close to Williamson said the legal papers had already been filed in court. Labour is understood to be confident its rules were followed and that there will be no successful grounds for a challenge.
Williamson was originally suspended in February after he told a meeting of the Momentum campaign group that Labour was being “demonised” over the crisis.
But, in July, a panel of Labour’s NEC ruled that the suspension should be lifted following a formal warning. The suspension was re-imposed two days later after an outcry from MPs and Jewish groups.
The case is currently being considered by a new antisemitism panel.
Here’s Philip Hammond, the mild-mannered man formally known in Downing Street as “spreadsheet Phil”, going on the attack against No 10’s “wrecking” tactics.
A Lib Dem peer described a Tommy Robinson T-shirt wearing protester as “a Nazi” during a council meeting in Lancashire – causing uproar at a planning session over a local mosque.
Zamira Rahim has all the details.
Lib Dem peer calls protester in Tommy Robinson shirt a ‘Nazi’ over mosque row
‘I do not apologise for doing that. I consider that [Stephen] Yaxley-Lennon...is a neo-Nazi street thug’First Trenitalia will operate train services on the West Coast Main Line from 8 December, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced this morning.
Virgin Group boss Sir Richard Branson wrote in a blog that he was “devastated” to have lost the franchise.
First Trenitalia is a joint venture between Aberdeen-based FirstGroup and Italian-owned train operator Trenitalia, with the former owning 70 per cent of the partnership.
The joint partnership was awarded the West Coast Partnership (WCP) contract, which also includes responsibility for running the first HS2 trains from 2026.
But the DfT said the government will “shortly launch a review” into the new high-speed railway, which was widely expected after Boris Johnson became PM. Transport secretary Grant Shapps said it was “positive news for passengers”.
Hugo Dixon, deputy chair of the People’s Vote campaign, says No 10 enforcer Dominic Cummings’ plan to deliver a no-deal Brexit can be defeated.
Here’s his nine-step guide.
My plan to defeat Dominic Cummings and Brexit in nine simple steps | Hugo Dixon
If there’s an election before Brexit, pro-Europeans have to work together. They must form a Remain Alliance, fielding one candidate in all seats that can be realistically won back from pro-Brexit MPsA reminder that there will be a march for a second Brexit referendum organised jointly by the People’s Vote organisation and The Independent’s Final Say campaign on Saturday 19 October.
The ‘Let Us Be Heard’ event is a week later than originally scheduled to avoid clashing with the annual Great Ormond Street Hospital fundraiser.
