Ex-Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett willing to be caretaker PM

I will be PM in government of national unity, says former Labour Foreign Secretary Dame Margaret Beckett – but she adds she can’t see the plot by opponents of No Deal working ‘at all’

• MPs who want to stop a No Deal Brexit are considering ousting Boris Johnson
• They would then seek to form a new government with the aim of delaying Brexit
• A caretaker government may also try to hold second referendum or election
• Dame Margaret was backed by former attorney general Dominic Grieve

Dame Margaret Beckett has declared she is willing to serve as a caretaker prime minister to stop Britain leaving the EU without a deal on October 31.

The Labour former foreign secretary has emerged as a leading choice among those plotting a government of national unity that would ask for a Brexit extension and then call a referendum or election.

MPs who want to stop a No Deal Brexit are considering ousting Boris Johnson from Downing Street through a vote of no confidence.

Dame Margaret Beckett has declared she is willing to serve as a caretaker prime minister to stop Britain leaving the EU without a deal on October 31

They would then seek to form a new government with the aims of delaying Brexit and holding either a second referendum or an election.

However, the group disagree on who should be caretaker prime minister.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has put himself forward but he has been rejected by Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson, who has suggested an alternative figure such as Kenneth Clarke or Harriet Harman.

Former attorney general Dominic Grieve, one of 21 MPs stripped of the Tory whip, yesterday gave his backing to Dame Margaret and said he ‘would be happy to serve in her administration’.

The Labour former foreign secretary has emerged as a leading choice among those plotting a government of national unity that would ask for a Brexit extension and then call a referendum or election

The Labour grandee last night said she believed it was ‘extremely unlikely’ and that nobody had ‘discussed it seriously’ with her.

But asked if she would refuse if asked to perform the role by MPs, she told The Evening Standard: ‘Anybody who refused to serve in such circumstances would perhaps be unwise.’

However, Dame Margaret said she could not see a government of national unity ‘working at all’, adding: ‘So I’ve not got excited about it in any way, shape or form but it’s kind to think they have got a good opinion of me.

‘It is very kind and very flattering – but to be perfectly honest it is not something I anticipate happening.’

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has put himself forward but he has been rejected by Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson

She stressed that she would prefer Mr Corbyn to get into Downing Street, saying: ‘We already have a candidate for prime minister, thank you very much.’

Dame Margaret served as acting Labour leader for a couple of months in 1994 following the death of John Smith, but she lost out to Tony Blair in the subsequent leadership contest.

The SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford yesterday suggested the party would be willing to back Mr Corbyn leading an interim government.

Ms Swinson has suggested an alternative figure such as Harriet Harman (pictured)

He told Sky News: ‘It’s not really about the individual, it is about the mechanism to create the election and Article 50.

‘Under our constitution, it’s right that the leader of the Opposition has the first opportunity to do that, and we would respect that as part of the process.

‘We need to coalesce around an individual that can unite the Commons. We need to take our responsibilities to remove Boris from power and to make sure we have an election. 

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