Labour plots to vote down Queen’s Speech in bid to embolden Tory rebels

Opposition ‘alliance’ hopes to topple Prime Minister on Oct 22 and install Corbyn as caretaker

‘We’re ready for that election. We’re ready to unleash the biggest people-powered campaign we’ve ever seen’

LABOUR is preparing a bid to topple Boris Johnson on Oct 22 and will order its MPS to vote down his Queen’s Speech the day beforehand, The Daily Telegraph understands.

With Parliament due to be prorogued for five weeks as of last night, allies of Jeremy Corbyn are now focusing their efforts on bringing down the Government when MPS return.

Under plans being considered by Mr Corbyn’s inner circle, Labour could table a confidence vote less than 24 hours after the Commons is asked to vote on the Government’s legislative programme.

On Oct 14, the Queen will formally reopen Parliament and deliver the speech. That will be followed by a debate on its contents lasting several days, and culminating in votes between Oct 21-22.

Senior SNP and Lib Dem sources also confirmed that a confidence vote in late October was discussed by opposition leaders during a meeting in Westminster yesterday morning.

The disclosure comes as Mr Corbyn today prepares to address the Trades Union Congress annual conference, during which he will confirm that Labour intends to force an election.

Speaking in Brighton, he is expected to say that after ruling out a no-deal Brexit, Labour’s next act will be “to trigger a general election”.

“So a general election is coming. But we won’t allow Johnson to dictate the terms,” he will add.

“And I can tell you this: we’re ready for that election. We’re ready to unleash the biggest people-powered campaign we’ve ever seen.”

Prior to the Fixed Term Parliaments Act, a Queen’s Speech was considered a vote of confidence and losing it would normally lead to a government resigning. Labour is confident that inflicting such a crucial defeat on Mr Johnson would provide the necessary push required for Tory rebels to vote with the opposition to bring him down. The plan would leave Mr Johnson in a perilous position, coming only days after he is required by law to seek a threemonth Brexit extension.

Having successfully ruled out a nodeal Brexit, toppling the Government would then give Mr Corbyn the opportunity to either try and form a caretaker administration or head into an election with Mr Johnson’s Brexit strategy in tatters.

Last night, a Labour source said: “If he [Mr Johnson] loses the Queen’s Speech you still have to have the confidence vote. The question is whether those Tory rebels will vote with us.”

It came as Mr Johnson appeared on course for another defeat in Parliament last night, after Mr Corbyn and other opposition leaders ordered their MPS to reject his second request for an election in mid-october.

A defeat would sink Mr Johnson’s final attempt to force a snap poll before a crucial European Council summit on Oct 17, which he had hoped to arrive equipped with a new majority and mandate for his negotiating position.

The Telegraph understands that during a cross-party meeting yesterday morning, the so-called opposition “alliance” also agreed to withhold support for an election until after Oct 21.

Following the meeting, Ian Blackford, the SNP’S Westminster leader, said that it was “clear there must be an early election” but only after opposition MPS had ruled out a “catastrophic no-deal Brexit on Oct 31”.

“Once the threat of no deal is off the table, we will move for an early election,” he added.

Tom Brake, the Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesman, said: “We were absolutely rock-solid on rejecting out of hand Boris Johnson’s attempt to cut and run with a general election.”

Meanwhile, Liz Saville Roberts, Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader, called on MPS to impeach Mr Johnson.

“If the Prime Minister refuses to seek an extension to the period under Article 50, he will have broken the law, plain and simple, and he must be subject to legal repercussions,” she said.

“I told other opposition parties this morning that if he does break the law, we should be ready to impeach Boris Johnson – a procedure that he himself supported in 2004 when current Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price sought to impeach Tony Blair for lying.”