Nicola Sturgeon 'feels disgust' after Boris Johnson says best way to honour murdered MP Jo Cox is to get Brexit done

The furious response came as Westminster resumed in a highly charged atmosphere with Mr Johnson confronted with numerous calls to resign in light of the UK Supreme Court’s ruling that his suspension of Parliament was unlawful.

But the PM launched a broadside on the highest court in the land, saying: “It is absolutely no disrespect to the judiciary to say the court was wrong to pronounce on what is essentially a political question at a time of great national controversy.”

And, deciding the best form of defence was attack, he threw down the gauntlet to the “cowardly” opposition parties to table a no-confidence vote in him and the Conservative Government to spark what would effectively be portrayed as a People versus Parliament General Election.

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In a statement to the Commons, met with roars of support from the Tory benches, he told opposition parties that he was prepared to give them a limited period of time to put down a no-confidence vote if they had the “courage to act”.

But the SNP, the Liberal Democrats and smaller parties as well as Labour refused outright to back any election until a further delay to Brexit was agreed.

The First Minister took to Twitter to rubbish the PM’s offer, saying: “Johnson should stop his shameful game-playing. If he requests an extension and removes risk of no-deal on October 31, @theSNP will vote for an election. The ball’s in his court. But he must think we button up the back if he believes we’ll let him force through a no-deal Brexit.”

However, the strongest reaction in a day of high emotions came when MPs urged Mr Johnson to temper his language.

Labour's Paula Sherriff said he should be ashamed for having "continually used pejorative language” to describe the Benn Act to extend Brexit; he has dubbed it the Surrender Act.

She referenced Ms Cox, the Yorkshire MP who backed Remain and who was murdered during the 2016 referendum campaign by a far-right extremist, who proclaimed "death to traitors, freedom for Britain".

Ms Sheriff said: "We should not resort to using offensive, dangerous or inflammatory language for legislation that we do not like and we stand here under the shield of our departed friend with many of us in this place subject to death threats and abuse every single day.

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"And let me tell the Prime Minister that they often quote his words 'Surrender Act', 'betrayal', 'traitor' and I for one am sick of it. We must moderate our language and it has to come from the Prime Minister first," the Dewsbury MP added to applause from opposition MPs.

Mr Johnson replied: "I have to say Mr Speaker I've never heard such humbug in all my life."

As MPs shouted “shame,” John Bercow interrupted proceedings to remind MPs to refrain from using offensive language towards one another.

The PM insisted the legislation to extend Brexit Day would “absolutely undermine our ability to continue to negotiate properly in Brussels. It takes away the fundamental ability of a country to walk away from the negotiations and I'm afraid that is exactly what it does."

He added: "The best way to get rid of the Surrender Act is not to have voted for it in the first place, to repeal it and to vote for the deal that we are going to do; that is the way forward."

Outwith Westminster, Ms Sturgeon, tweeted: "I feel disgust watching Johnson. Untrustworthy, craven, not a shred of concern for the consequences of his words or actions. Unfit for office in every sense. The opposition do need to unite on a proper plan to get rid of him. But he mustn't be allowed to bully his way to no deal."

Tracy Brabin, who was elected to the Batley and Spen seat after Ms Cox was murdered, also called on Mr Johnson to moderate his language.

"As the woman who has taken over a seat left by our dear friend Jo Cox, can I ask him in all honesty as a human being please, please will he going forward moderate his language so that we will all feel secure when we're going about our jobs."

Mr Johnson replied: "Of course there will be an attempt to try to obfuscate the effect of this Act but it does - the Capitulation Act, or the Surrender Act or whatever you want to call it - it does, I'm sorry, but it greatly enfeebles, it greatly enfeebles this Government's ability to negotiate.

"But what I will say is that the best way to honour the memory of Jo Cox and indeed the best way to bring this country together would be to get Brexit done."

Labour MPs gasped in astonishment at the PM’s remarks.

The FM tweeted: "As of tonight, there's a gaping moral vacuum where the office of Prime Minister used to be. I didn't know Jo Cox but I'm certain this man is not fit to speak her name."

Jo Swinson, the Liberal Democrat leader, branded Mr Johnson an “utter disgrace”.

Earlier, he insisted MPs were trying to prevent Brexit entirely, saying: "The people at home know that this Parliament will keep delaying, it will keep sabotaging the negotiations because they don't want a deal."

He went on: "Out of sheer selfishness and political cowardice they are unwilling to move aside and let the people have a say. The Leader of the Opposition and his party don't trust the people. All that matters to them is an obsessive desire to overturn the referendum result."

The PM added: "This Parliament must either stand aside and let this Government get Brexit done or bring a vote of confidence and finally face the day of reckoning with the voters."

In response, Jeremy Corbyn repeated his call for the PM to quit, telling MPs: "After yesterday's ruling the Prime Minister should have done the honourable thing and resigned."

The Labour leader dismissed the "bluster from a dangerous Prime Minister who thinks he is above the law", adding: "In truth, he is not fit for the office that he holds."

Earlier, Geoffrey Cox, the Attorney General, also faced questions about his legal advice which indicated the five-week suspension - known as prorogation - would be within the law.

Mr Cox told MPs he would consider whether the public interest might require a "greater disclosure" of advice given to the Government on the prorogation.

But he railed against the "dead Parliament" claiming MPs had no "moral right" to remain in the Commons, try to "block 17.4 million people's votes" and refuse to allow an election.

Last night in an interview with ITV’s Peston programme, Mr Johnson said he would both "respect the law" and leave the EU on October 31; but again refused to say how.

Today, opposition parties are set to oppose the Government’s desire to move Westminster into recess to facilitate the Conservative conference in Manchester, which is due to run from Sunday to Wednesday.

Party sources insisted the event would take place regardless with the PM giving his traditional set-piece speech but the timetable might have to be rejigged.