Boris warns rebel to back Brexit or face "chaos" with opposition leader

The prime minister is in talks with his senior aides on Sunday in order to respond to reports that rebel Tories are to cooperate with Corbyn in order to stop Johnson's plan to take his country out of the European Union (EU) on Oct. 31 with or without a deal.

In his first newspaper interview since taking office, the prime minister told Sunday Times that Tory members of parliament face a historic choice this week - back him to deliver Brexit or see Corbyn take over and "plunge the country into chaos."

"I just say to everybody in the country, including everyone in parliament, the fundamental choice is this: are you going to side with Jeremy Corbyn and those who want to cancel the referendum?"

The statement came ahead of an expected showdown clash in the House of Commons in the coming days. According to Johnson, a cross-party alliance with opposition members of parliament risks plunging the country into chaos.

About 20 former ministers have talked about breaking away from the party if he makes them fight a snap election on a no-deal manifesto.

On Monday, Johnson is expected to meet with former cabinet ministers Philip Hammond, David Gauke and Dominic Grieve to force them to choose their side.

In the interview, Johnson also accused the Labour leader of having "made a historic decision to turn his party into the anti-democratic, referendum-cancelling party."

Corbyn said on Saturday that the coming days are the "last chance" to stop a no-deal Brexit before British parliament is suspended under Prime Minister Boris Johnson's controversial plans.

Corbyn made the remarks in response to a question about comments made by Keir Starmer, a Labour member of parliament who is shadow secretary of state for exiting the European Union, during an event in Glasgow on Saturday as part of a three-day visit to Scotland before parliament resumes in Westminster on Sept. 3.

Starmer was reported to have said that next week would be the final opportunity to stop the UK from leaving the EU without an agreement.

In answering the question, Corbyn said, "Yes, it is the last chance and we will do absolutely everything we can to prevent a no-deal Brexit and the prime minister taking us into the hands of (U.S. President) Donald Trump and a trade deal with the USA."

In Brussels, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has again rejected Johnson's demands for the Irish backstop to be scrapped.

Barnier insists that the controversial insurance plan for the Irish border in the Withdrawal Agreement represents the "maximum flexibility" that Brussels can offer.

The prime minister has called on EU leaders to discard the so-called backstop and branded it as "unacceptable", warning the arrangement must be ditched if a no-deal Brexit is to be avoided.

Parliament will reconvene for just six days after the summer recess ends. Thousands of demonstrators on Saturday took to the streets across Britain in protest against Johnson's decision to suspend parliament.

Protesters gathered in dozens of locations around the country including London, Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, Brighton, Swansea, Bristol and Liverpool.

Further mass demonstrations are expected in Britain when members of parliament return to Westminster on Tuesday.

The prime minister, who vowed to leave the EU on Oct. 31 with or without a deal, decided to prorogue parliament until Oct. 14, two weeks before the Brexit deadline.

The decision has led to rising tensions between the government and parliament in a divisive country due to disagreements on how to leave the EU.

Johnson insists the move was to allow the government to hold a Queen's Speech and outline an "exciting" agenda for the future.

But critics say his intention is to stop members of parliament from plotting against him to stop a no-deal Brexit.