Brexit latest news: Cabinet meeting called amid growing speculation election will be announced this week
Danielle Sheridan, POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT Harry Yorke, Political Correspondent
2 September 2019 • 3:15pm
A Cabinet meeting has been called amid growing speculation that an election will be called later this week.
According to Whitehall sources the meeting will take place at 5pm, before Boris Johnson hosts MPs at a garden party in Downing Street.
A Downing Street source said: "They will discuss Government's response to MPs seeking to take control of legislative agenda away from Government and handing it to the opposition and Corbyn without the consent of the people."
The view from Number 10 is that the expected vote on Tuesday is "an expression of confidence in (the) Government's negotiating position to secure a deal and will be treated as such".
According to the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg if there is no new deal passed by Parliament, or if Parliament has agreed to no-deal by October 19, then the rebels' bill would force Boris Johnson to seek a 3 month extension of Brexit until January 31.
It comes after Tory rebels accused Boris Johnson of "goading" them into voting against the Government in order to force a snap election.
Mr Johnson has warned that any rebel who backs legislation extending Article 50 will be deselected at the next election.
His ultimatum, signed off at a meeting with Government whips yesterday, is aimed directly at former ministers including Philip Hammond, David Gauke and Rory Stewart.
By putting their jobs on the line, Mr Johnson hopes enough of the rebels will back down to ensure that the attempt to force through legislation blocking no-deal will fail.
However, Mr Gauke, the former justice secretary, has hit back this morning, accusing Mr Johnson of "almost goading people into voting against the Government" to bring about an election.
He also signalled that Tory MPs would not be cowed by Mr Johnson, warning that if they did not step in to block no-deal they would be “complicit in something that will be very damaging for this country.”