LibDems working on plan to topple Conservative government and install senior Labour MP in Number 10

Senior Liberal Democrats are working on a plan to topple the Conservatives and install a senior Labour MP in 10 Downing Street without holding a general election.

Sir Ed Davey, who is battling with Jo Swinson for the right to succeed Sir Vince Cable as the party's leader, said he was working on a plan for a government of national unity led by veteran Labour MPs Hillary Benn or Yvette Cooper.

Sir Ed told a Westminster hustings organised by Lobby journalists that the new administration would be formed if there was a vote of no confidence in the current Tory government.

By setting up an alternative PM to Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn entering Number 10, Sir Ed suggested it might help secure the support of 25-30 Tory MPs for the confidence motion.

The new government would only exist for around six months to legislate for and deliver a new referendum on EU membership.

Sir Ed - who has not approached Ms Cooper nor Mr Benn about his plans - but he said: "I'm not suggesting everyone is jumping to this idea yet, it will take some persuasion."

He added: "It would envisage a non-front bench MP probably from the Labour party being the Prime Minister, being called to the Palace.

"The Palace would have heard from Parliament that that MP had a significant number of support from the Conservative benches - 25, 30 MPs probably - that they also had support of the other opposition parties.

"That could lead to a government of national unity which paved the way for the legislation to enable a People's Vote."

He said the leader "probably has to be a Labour MP because most of the MPs supporting this government of national unity would be Labour, so ultimately it's a challenge to my Labour colleagues, many of whom understand Brexit, and the no-deal Brexit that threatens us, would be deeply damaging to their constituents".

Earlier at the same hustings Mr Davey's rival Jo Swinson warned that a victory for Boris Johnson in the Tory leadership race could be a "great recruiting tool" for the Liberal Democrats.

She said Mr Johnson would be "disastrous for our country" but "the silver lining is it's good for the Liberal Democrats".

She also said talks were taking place with Tory MPs about potential defections after former Labour and Change UK MP Chuka Umunna joined them.

Ms Swinson also said she could not rule out the possibility that Tory MPs could have forced Sam Gyimah to drop out of the leadership race at an early stage because he is black.

She said: "The reason he did not get through was because he supported a People's Vote - but at the same time I am not going to sit here as a white woman and blithely say I can be confident that race played no factor because i am not walking in those shoes.

"We should all recognise where we have privilege - my white skin gives us privilege."