A judge has scheduled a hearing on whether the Prime Minister can legally suspend Parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit.

A group of more than 70 MPs and peers is calling on the Scottish courts to rule that suspending parliament to allow the UK to leave without a deal would be "unlawful and unconstitutional".

The anti-Brexit campaigners filed a petition at the Court of Session in Edinburgh attempting to block the Prime Minister from being able to prorogue parliament and called for the case to be heard before the October 31 Brexit deadline.

At a preliminary hearing, Lord Raymond Doherty agreed to set the date for a hearing on Friday, September 6.

Lord Doherty rejected the campaigners' attempts to have the whole hearing before one court to speed up the process, rather than the normal legal procedures.

MPs will return from their summer break on Tuesday, September 3, and Labour could call a confidence vote in the UK Government any day that week.

The following day, the government will provide a progress report on power-sharing in Northern Ireland, which will be debated within five days.

A government source told the Press Association that Downing Street anticipated that Monday, September 9 - when MPs are likely to discuss the report in the Commons - could be the first major legislative showdown over a no-deal Brexit.

Downing Street reiterated on Monday that Mr Johnson remains "very clear in his determination to want to get a deal" and said he will hold talks with EU leaders over the phone in the coming days.