Cross-party MPs to meet to discuss forming own parliament in bid to block no deal Brexit

  • Video report by ITV News Political Correspondent Paul Brand

For dozens of MPs, summer recess will be voluntarily cut short tomorrow as they return to Westminster. But seeing as nobody is actually calling them back to Parliament, they've decided to form their own version of it.

I understand representatives from almost all parties will meet at Church House - where MPs gathered during World War II - to symbolise their determination to continue the work of the Commons, even if the Prime Minister suspends it.

Those gathered are expected to sign a declaration, agreeing to set up an alternative Parliament if Boris Johnson decides to prorogue the one that sits in the Palace of Westminster.

Yesterday, Downing Street denied reports that the Prime Minister had sought legal advice about suspending Parliament for five weeks from 9th September to prevent MPs from frustrating a No Deal Brexit.

According to one of the organisers, the meeting is also designed to show the strong support for cross-party cooperation among backbench MPs, despite the stalemate among their party leaders over how to prevent a No Deal Brexit.

Tomorrow, Jeremy Corbyn will meet with the leaders of Lib Dems, SNP, Plaid Cymru and other smaller groupings to discuss his idea for a Vote of No Confidence in the Conservative government, before forming a temporary administration under his leadership.

Boris Johnson has reportedly been receiving legal advice about proroguing Parliament. Credit: PA

But several parties have said they will not sign up to this idea, because they do not want Jeremy Corbyn to be Prime Minister.

Today, the Lib Dem leader, Jo Swinson, told ITV News that there was no time for "mucking about with ideas that aren't going to fly."

Instead, some opposition parties, including the Lib Dems, SNP and The Independent Group for Change, prefer the idea of introducing a law to stop No Deal.

And tomorrow's meeting of backbench MPs at Church House may help demonstrate that the numbers could be amassed to support such a legislative mechanism, if it exists.

Several sources have told me that they still believe there is a way to stop No Deal via various parliamentary procedures, but as yet no concrete plan has been agreed.

So the various meetings on Tuesday may show some unity of purpose.

But the truth remains that the opposition parties are still more opposed to one another than they are to No Deal.