The five-week suspension of Parliament will begin later, after MPs are expected to again reject government calls for a snap election.

Opposition MPs confirmed they would not back the push for a 15 October poll, insisting a law blocking a no-deal Brexit must be implemented first.

Ministers have called the law “lousy” and said they would “test to the limit” what it required of them.

Boris Johnson has been warned he could face legal action for flouting it.

At present, UK law states that the country will leave the EU on 31 October, regardless of whether a withdrawal deal has been agreed with Brussels or not.

But the new legislation, which was granted royal assent on Monday, changes that, and will force the PM to seek a delay to 31 January 2020 unless a deal – or a no-deal exit – is approved by MPs by 19 October.

BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said although No 10 insisted it was not looking to break the new law, efforts were under way to examine ways of getting around it.

Meanwhile, John Bercow has said he will stand down as Commons Speaker and MP at the next election, or on 31 October, whichever comes first, after 10 years in the role.

The prime minister has begun his second push for an early general election, opening a debate in Parliament by attacking Mr Corbyn’s decision not to back a snap poll at this time.

Mr Johnson said Mr Corbyn had previously said he would back an election if legislation to prevent the government from forcing through a no-deal Brexit on 31 October became law.

“The surrender act has now passed, it’s gained royal assent, he’s done his level best to wreck this country’s chances of a successful negotiation,” the prime minister said.

“By his own logic, he must now back an election.”

Mr Johnson said an election was the only way to break the deadlock in the Commons.

But Mr Corbyn told MPs that Labour was “eager for an election – but as keen as we are we are not prepared to risk inflicted the disaster of no-deal on our communities out jobs our services or indeed our rights”.

Labour, the SNP, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, the Independent Group for Change and Plaid Cymru met on Monday morning and agreed not to back the motion for an election.

Earlier, the prime minister suffered another defeat in the House of Commons.

MPs backed calls, by 311 votes to 302, for the publication of government communications relating to the suspension of Parliament and the release of all documents relating to Operation Yellowhammer, the government’s no-deal contingency plan, shared with ministers since 23 July.

Former Conservative Dominic Grieve, the newly independent MP who tabled the motion, told MPs it was “entirely reasonable” to ask for the disclosure “so the House can understand the risks involved and this can be communicated more widely to the public”.