Boris Johnson has claimed Jeremy Corbyn "wants to cancel the referendum and argue about Brexit for years" as he prepares for a Commons showdown next month with MPs, who are expected to try to block a no-deal outcome.

On Monday, the Prime Minister had yet another transatlantic telephone conversation with Donald Trump when the two leaders discussed “global economic issues and trade and he updated the President on Brexit,” a No 10 spokesman said.

Mr Johnson took to Twitter to castigate the Labour leader, saying: “Jeremy Corbyn wants to cancel the referendum and argue about Brexit for years. I am committed to leading our country forward and getting Britain out of the EU by October 31.”

Downing St also underscored how the PM remained "very clear in his determination to want to get a deal". He will hold phone talks with EU leaders in the coming days.

While it is possible Mr Johnson could travel to meet Germany’s Angela Merkel and France’s Emmanuel Macron ahead of the G7 summit in Biarritz on Saturday week, the UK Government believes nothing will happen until the EU knows what MPs can or cannot do as regards blocking a no-deal Brexit and potentially seeking another delay from the EU27 to Britain’s departure from the bloc.

There is a feeling within Whitehall that matters will “go to the wire” but ministers and officials are now confident that Brussels fully understands the UK Government’s determination that the country will leave the EU on October 31; deal or no deal. It is suggested UK officials could soon be pulled from EU meetings in Brussels to emphasis Britain’s resolve to leave at Hallowe’en come what may.

The PM will on Tuesday chair the first of his two weekly Brexit strategy meetings with senior ministers. This happens alongside the daily so-called XO meetings on no-deal preparations chaired by Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office Minister.

Whitehall insiders are preparing for an attempt by a cross-party alliance in the Commons to block a no-deal Brexit in the second week of September.

MPs successfully amended a Northern Ireland Bill - designed to ensure government continues in the absence of Stormont - to stipulate a regular update on Brexit. This is due to be debated on September 9 when UK ministers expect a cross-party legislative attempt to stop Britain crashing out of the EU without a deal.

Leading Tory Remainer Dominic Grieve said it was possible the Commons could repeat the spring exercise, which saw MPs pass a law to force Theresa May to extend Article 50 further.

The former Attorney General argued Mr Johnson should be "obliged to maintain the status quo" and extend Article 50 if he remained as a caretaker PM during a general election although Mr Grieve accepted his party leader had signalled that he would not be bound by constitutional convention.

Asked what he could do in such situation, the Buckinghamshire MP said: "There are a number of things that could be done to force the PM’s hand in those circumstances, including passing primary legislation through Parliament while it's still sitting to force him to extend Article 50.

"We've done it before. We did it back in March/April of this year and it's possible that could be done again," he added.

But the Institute for Government think-tank has argued MPs might have limited scope to stop a no-deal break and that, even if Mr Johnson lost a no confidence vote, he could still try to plough on regardless.

The view echoes the reported opinion of Dominic Cummings, the PM’s top adviser, who is said to have told Mr Johnson that opponents of a no-deal had left it too late.

Labour, meanwhile, is considering tabling a no confidence vote in the Government in the first week in September when MPs return from their summer break. However, Diane Abbott, the Shadow Home Secretary, pointed out: “We are talking to all of the other parties in Parliament and, if we move for a vote of no confidence, we'll want to do it with confidence that we can win it."

Mr Corbyn has told all Labour MPs to cancel any planned leave or travel during first two weeks of September as he prepares an attempt to bring down the Tory Government.

Elsewhere:

*Jo Swinson, the Liberal Democrat leader, on her first visit to the Irish border, insisted there was no "good Brexit" for Northern Ireland;

*New research suggested UK households have already spent £4 billion on stockpiling goods in preparation for a possible no-deal outcome;

*Justice Secretary Robert Buckland said he still believed crashing out of the EU without a deal would lead to chaos but added that was why the Government was showing a “sense of urgency and purpose that is absolutely essential if we're to avoid the sort of disorder I've talked about and I'm increasingly confident we can achieve that".

*the SNP’s Angus Brendan MacNeill, who chairs the Commons Trade Committee, called on Liz Truss, the Trade Secretary, to outline the true potential impact of no-deal Brexit tariffs on non-EU trade and

*the Road Haulage Association disputed the view of the head of the French Channel ports - who insisted Dover to Calais trade would run smoothly post Brexit - saying it was clear Britain was not Brexit-ready and warned of an "information abyss".