Boris Johnson will not stand down as PM, Downing Street insists

Number 10 declines to say what PM will do if he fails to secure a snap election

Downing Street has insisted that Boris Johnson will not stand down as prime minister in order to avoid having to ask Brussels for an extension of Brexit negotiations.

If the rebel bill being debated by MPs on Wednesday becomes law, it will require the PM to seek a delay in the Brexit deadline from 31 October to the end of January, unless he can first strike a deal with Brussels or persuade parliament to accept a no-deal outcome.

This would mean Mr Johnson breaching his often-repeated promise that the UK will leave the EU under his leadership “come what may”.

His attempt to avoid this humiliating U-turn by calling a general election looks set to be thwarted as Labour refuses to back his motion for a snap poll on 15 October.

Asked whether Mr Johnson will comply with the terms of the rebel bill if it becomes law, a Downing Street source said: “The PM has been clear that he will not go to Brussels to ask for an extension.”

The source confirmed that Mr Johnson would fight any election on a platform of seeking a new Brexit deal at the European Council summit on 17 October and being prepared to leave the EU without a withdrawal agreement on Halloween if necessary. And he made clear that he would regard victory as providing him with a mandate to ignore the bill’s requirement for delay.

But Number 10 insisted that even if he fails to obtain a snap election, the PM will not quit in order to avoid being forced to put the bill into effect.

“He is not going to stand down,” the source told reporters. “We will find a way to deliver on what the British people want, which is to deliver Brexit on 31 October.”

The source said it would be “bizarre” for parliament to deny Mr Johnson an election after effectively preventing him from delivering his Brexit policy by stripping him of the no-deal option.

Boris Johnson reacts as Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn speaks (Getty)

The legislation - which Mr Johnson refers to as a “surrender bill” - would “destroy the British negotiating position and would prevent Brexit”, said the source.

And he said: “Jeremy Corbyn was last week saying that he demands an election. The question for Jeremy Corbyn is why he isn’t going to honour that.”