Anti-Brexit leaders come together to agree on path to stop no-deal departure

War games begin on strategy for Parliament to halt Boris Johnson’s drive for Brexit on October 31

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Tuesday attempts to bridge deep divisions with other opposition parties on how to avoid Britain crashing out of the EU on October 31. AFP 

Britain’s anti-Brexit opposition leaders have agreed to thwart a no-deal Brexit through legislation in Parliament, ending talk of installing a temporary prime minister and caretaker government.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn led a cross-party meeting on Tuesday to discuss ways of stopping Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking Britain out of the EU on October 31 with no deal.

For more than an hour, the Labour leader met vocal Remain-supporting leaders Jo Swinson of the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party’s Caroline Lucas, the Scottish National Party’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford and Independents leader Anna Soubry.

Ms Soubry, who left the Conservative Party this year because of its pro-Brexit stance and shift to the right, hailed an “excellent meeting between all the opposition party leaders this morning”.

“We agree to stop a no-deal Brexit by legislation,” she said.

Ms Swinson told the BBC that she felt “very positive” after the meeting.

Mr Corbyn’s decision to make legislative pressure could bring in more support from Conservative MPs who are fearful of a no-deal Brexit.

“The attendees agreed that Boris Johnson has shown himself open to using anti-democratic means to force through no deal,” the leaders said in a statement.

“The attendees agreed on the urgency to act together to find practical ways to prevent no deal, including the possibility of passing legislation and a vote of no confidence”.

All party leaders agreed to further meetings.

“The prime minister is becoming increasingly reckless, pushing us to a cliff-edge, for which he has no mandate,” Ms Lucas said.

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage held a rally earlier on Tuesday in central London to put pressure on Mr Johnson to take the country out of the EU without conceding further concessions.

“Mr Johnson, if you insisted on leaving with the withdrawal agreement we will fight you in every single seat the length and breadth of Britain,” he said.

“That raises a very big question: 'Can you trust Boris Johnson on this question?'”

Mr Farage described the EU backstop, an insurance policy to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, as the “worst deal in history”.

He said he would be willing to support Mr Johnson in a “non-aggression pact” to force a no-deal Brexit.

Mr Johnson spoke with the European Commissions President Jean-Claude Juncker on Tuesday evening.

A Downing Street spokesman said the two had a "a positive and substantive conversation", where they spoke about G7 progress on Brexit.

“The Prime Minister set out that the UK will be leaving the EU on October 31, whatever the circumstances, and that we absolutely want to do so with a deal," the spokesman said.

"The PM was also clear, however, that unless the withdrawal agreement is reopened and the backstop abolished there is no prospect of that deal."

Mr Johnson also underlined the importance of ensuring the peace, prosperity and security of Northern Ireland.

He said that the UK government "will never place infrastructure, checks, or controls at the border".

The leaders said their teams would continue their informal discussions