UK's Labour vows to bring down Johnson and lead temporary government

By Kate Holton

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's opposition Labour Party has vowed to call a vote of no-confidence in Boris Johnson's government as soon as it believes it can win it and seeks to form a temporary government under leader Jeremy Corbyn to delay Brexit.

Prime Minister Johnson has promised to take Britain out of the European Union by Oct. 31, with or without a deal, setting the scene for a showdown in parliament where lawmakers are opposed to a divorce without a transition agreement.

In a letter to party leaders and other senior politicians, Corbyn said his “strictly time-limited temporary government” would delay Britain's departure from the EU beyond Oct. 31 and hold a general election.

He said Labour would campaign in the election to hold a second referendum on the Brexit terms, including an option as to whether the country should remain in the bloc three years after it voted to leave.

“This government has no mandate for No Deal, and the 2016 EU referendum provided no mandate for No Deal,” Corbyn said in the letter to other opposition party leaders, and high profile cross-party politicians.

“I therefore intend to table a vote of no confidence at the earliest opportunity when we can be confident of success.”

Lawmakers return from their summer break on Sept. 3, reconvening for a battle over Brexit that will determine the fortunes of the world's fifth-largest economy.

Johnson, who led the 2016 campaign to leave the EU, has staked his premiership on getting Britain out by Oct. 31, prompting politicians from all sides to try to stop him.

On Wednesday he said those trying to block Brexit were engaged in “a terrible kind of collaboration”, after former finance minister Philip Hammond said parliament would block a no-deal exit, and that the government must respect it.

PARLIAMENT SHOWDOWN

Were Johnson's government to lose a no-confidence vote, lawmakers would have a 14-day period to try to form a new administration, otherwise a general election would be called which could be held after the Oct. 31 exit date.

“Jeremy Corbyn wants to cancel the referendum and argue about Brexit for years,” Johnson said on Twitter. “I am committed to leading our country forward and getting Britain out of the EU by October 31st.”

Opponents of a no-deal exit say it would be a disaster for what was one of the West's most stable democracies, shattering supply chains, damaging global growth, and weakening Britain's standing in the world.

Brexit supporters say while there may be short-term disruption, it would provide a clean break from the bloc and allow the economy to thrive.

Parliamentary votes have shown there is a small majority against a no-deal Brexit and Corbyn, a low-key Remain campaigner during the 2016 referendum, has come under pressure from his own side to step up efforts to prevent it from happening.

He said he hoped his proposals could “halt the serious threat of No Deal, end the uncertainty and disarray, and allow the public to decide the best way ahead for our country”.

But Corbyn, a veteran socialist, is a highly divisive figure in parliament and could struggle to form a majority of his own.

While the political turmoil of the last year has led to an unprecedented level of cross-party cooperation, many in Johnson's Conservative Party and others would still find it difficult to vote for Corbyn.

Jo Swinson, the new leader of the pro-EU Liberal Democrat party which has 13 Lawmakers in the 650-seat parliament, described the proposal as “nonsense”.

“Jeremy Corbyn is not the person who is going to be able to build an even temporary majority in the House of Commons for this task,” she said. “I would expect there are people in his own party and indeed the necessary Conservative backbenchers who would be unwilling to support him.”

She is due to set out her own proposal to work with other parties to block a no-deal Brexit on Thursday.