Labour will only agree to a general election before Christmas "if necessary", Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has suggested.
Mr McDonnell and a fellow shadow cabinet minister have both moved to dampen mounting speculation of a "Grinch" poll just days before winter break.
Some in No10 are agitating for Boris Johnson to force a vote on a snap election next week after his bid to rush through his Brexit deal was voted down.
That could mean polling day is as early as Thursday 5 December. Yet to do that he needs 434 MPs' backing - meaning he must have Labour support.
Last night the Shadow Chancellor said Labour would back a snap election this year if needed - once the EU have agreed to delay the Brexit deadline to January 31.
Yet first, he said, the party is trying to help Boris Johnson create a new, longer timetable to scrutinise his Brexit deal in the House of Commons.
He told ITV's Peston: "We’re hoping, step by step, hoping we can get some agreement with the government.
"If we can’t we’re up for an election for whenever it comes."
Asked if that meant an election before Christmas he replied: "Well if necessary.
"But to be honest what we’re trying, we’re trying to be the adults in the room."
It came hours after another shadow minister, Richard Burgon, said Labour would back an election as soon as the threat of no-deal Brexit was removed.
Mr Burgon said yesterday: "As soon as no-deal is off the table we want a general election to get the Tories out."
Yet speaking today, Shadow Business Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey repeatedly refused to confirm whether there would be an election before Christmas.
Grilled by Sky News' Kay Burley, she said: "I couldn’t answer that unfortunately, that lies in the hands of the PM at the moment."
Ms Long-Bailey added: "We need to make sure no deal is taken off the table and we get this extension first.
“We also want to act pragmatically and that’s why we made the offer to look at the timetable for discussing this in Parliament."
No10 "sources" have briefed journalists that an election is "the only way the country can move on" after the three-day timetable for the Brexit deal was voted down.
The Withdrawal Agreement Bill did pass its second reading vote - meaning the PM can carry on with a different timetable if he wants. But instead, sources have been agitating for an election.
Opponents fear Boris Johnson will have an advantage if he makes an election all about his Brexit deal - before it's had proper Parliamentary scrutiny.
Reports in the Daily Mail today claimed more than half of Labour MPs could vote against an election.
Labour MP Lisa Nandy said the PM would only have to offer five or six days for detailed scrutiny of his deal in the Commons.
But Ms Long-Bailey suggested it would need to have about four weeks, and talks between the PM and Jeremy Corbyn ended yesterday without agreement.
Asked if Labour would vote for a general election as soon as the PM calls for one after getting a Brexit delay, she said: "That's our position.
"But we also want the Prime Minister to look at the compromise that's been offered that a lot of MPs support.
"And that's the ability to be able to properly scrutinise the Bill."
Top Tory James Cleverly admitted the party would be seen as “the Grinch” if it staged a Christmas general election.
Officials fear children's nativity plays maybe cancelled so school halls can host ballot boxes in a festive poll.
Tory Party chairman James Cleverly did not deny the Conservatives were plotting to thwart youngsters from playing Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the three wise men.
He told the BBC: “I don't want to be the Grinch but democracy is incredibly important”.”
