Boris Johnson has dramatically blocked Labour's bid to hold a vote of no confidence in the Tory government.
The Opposition planned to table the motion today - with a vote on Wednesday - after it emerged the PM would cling to office until September 5.
But Downing Street has told Keir Starmer that they will not give him the time in the House of Commons for the debate and vote to go ahead.
The bombshell decision sparked a bitter war of words between Labour and the government tonight.
A senior Labour source told the Mirror: "The Government is refusing to give us time for a vote of no confidence in the Commons despite all the conventions that this should be granted.
"It's just another example of them ripping up the rules to protect their own side. They're saying the PM is going anyway but they're clearly frightened of losing".
If a vote passes, the convention is that Mr Johnson’s government would either resign or seek a general election.
A Labour spokesperson said: “This clapped-out government is running scared and refusing to allow time to debate Labour’s vote of no confidence motion.
"This is totally unprecedented. Yet again the Tories are changing the rules to protect their own dodgy mates. All the Tory leadership candidates should denounce this flagrant abuse of power to protect a discredited Prime Minister.”
Boris Johnson’s allies accused Labour of not tabling a proper no-confidence vote - because it was phrased differently to most votes of its kind.
Instead of being solely in the government, the no confidence motion was in “Her Majesty’s Government while [Boris Johnson] remains Prime Minister”.
A government spokesperson said this was Labour “playing politics” when the Prime Minister has already agreed to resign - wasting Parliamentary time.
But a Labour source hit back that Parliamentary clerks had ruled the motion in order and it had precedent.
Labour sources pointed out that in 1965, a no confidence motion was worded: “That this House has no confidence in Her Majesty’s Government and deplores the Prime Minister’s conduct of the nation’s affairs.”
A government spokesperson insisted: “We have given Labour the option to table a straightforward vote of no confidence in the Government... Should Labour amend their motion appropriately, they can have the next business day for it to be debated."
It is understood that negotiations are still ongoing between party whips over the motion.
Despite Tory MPs forcing him out, defeat for Mr Johnson would have been highly unlikely.
He has a 73-seat majority and Tories are unlikely to vote down their own government when they know a new leader is on the way.
MPs from all parties had been expected to vote on the motion tomorrow, with the opposition saying it is "intolerable" that the PM can cling on for weeks.
The Prime Minister finally accepted the game was up after an overwhelming wave of resignations last week - but said he would remain in place until his successor is in place.
He is set to remain at Number 10 in a caretaker role until September, but faces calls to go sooner.
Ten Tory MPs are currently slugging it out to succeed Mr Johnson, with former Chancellor Rishi Sunak currently the frontrunner.
Sir Keir said that Mr Johnson should not be allowed to continue for the next few weeks.
He said: "Labour is laying a vote of no confidence in this caretaker Prime Minister and his Government.
"The Tory party has at last concluded that the Prime Minister is unfit for office, that was blindingly obvious a very, very long time ago.
"He is leaving because his own party has concluded that he can't be trusted.
"They can't now let him cling on for weeks, and weeks, and weeks until September 5. It would be intolerable for the country.
"Since the Tories have failed to act in the national interest, Labour will."
The Labour leader continued: "We have put down a vote of no confidence, and challenged any Tory MP who in the last few days has said 'I can't serve Boris Johnson because you can't trust a word the man says', 'I can't go on the media because the lines he gives us always unravel'.
"Can they really vote to say he should stay in power for another few weeks? We're challenging them to put their constituents first, and put the country first."
In another embarrassment for Mr Johnson, a removal van is set to pull up outside Downing Street carrying the message ' Boris: Leave means leave'.
Matthew McGregor, of campaign group 38 Degrees - which is behind the stunt - said: “The public have been clear that they want Boris Johnson to leave Number 10 immediately, so we thought we’d give him a hand moving out. We’ll even steam off the gold-plated wallpaper.
“This damaging psychodrama in Westminster is hurting our democracy, and the longer Mr Johnson squats in Downing Street, the deeper that damage will be."
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: "This sounds more like Donald Trump than a serious British Government.
“If the rumours are true and Boris Johnson has blocked a vote of no confidence in the House of Commons, this is just more evidence that he is totally unable to lead our country.
“Voters will never forgive the Conservative Party for propping up Johnson, who is more interested in himself and his legacy than tackling the health crisis and cost of living emergency.”
