Boris Johnson news live: No-deal Brexit looms as Gove claims EU is ‘refusing to negotiate’ with UK and Brussels rejects No 10’s tactics

A future Labour government would not block a second Scottish independence referendum, shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said.

Speaking at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on Tuesday, Mr McDonnell said any decision about holding a vote would be up to the Scottish Parliament.

He told journalist Iain Dale: “It will be for the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish people to decide that.

Journalist Iain Dale (left) interviews shadow chancellor John McDonnell (right) at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

“We would not block something like that. We would let the Scottish people decide

“They will take a view about whether they want another referendum. Nicola Sturgeon said by late next year or the beginning of 2021.”

His view contradicts that of Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard, who earlier this year told the BBC that Labour would refuse to grant a “Section 30 order” if the party took power in Westminster, giving Holyrood the authority to hold another vote.

Labour’s shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey has said the party would not support a “national government of unity” to stop a no-deal Brexit.

Speaking to Channel 4 News, she said: “We’re quite clear that we're happy to collaborate on a cross-party basis, but we wouldn’t countenance a national government of unity, as it were, because we think that we need to have a clear majority for a government in parliament.

“That’s why we’re calling for a general election and we’re fighting for a Labour majority.

Labour’s shadow business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey (Getty)

“What we don’t want is a national unity government that gives Boris some sort of get out of jail free card, so as soon as Brexit’s been sorted out, he can sail back in without any problems at all, without a sufficient parliamentary majority.

“We think that this is a decision that needs to be put back to the people and that’s why we want to have a general election.”

Here's Conservative MP Dominic Grieve saying that the Queen would have to sack Boris Johnson if he refused to quit after losing a vote of no confidence.

It follows reports that reports that Downing Street chief of staff Dominic Cummings believes the the PM will be able to force through no deal even if the House of Commons votes to bring down his government.

The scenario - which appears unlikely even in these crazy times - has not gone down well with Brexit supporters.

Andy Wigmore, a prominent associate of Nigel Farage and Arron Banks, called it "a load of bollox", suggesting that the Royal Family "are Brexit supporters and recognise democracy and her subjects voted for Brexit."