Boris Johnson loses key Parliament expert just as his fight to deliver Brexit by October 31 approaches

BORIS Johnson is losing his key expert on Parliament just as his titanic struggle over Brexit with MPs comes to a head.

In a blow to the PM, his Director of Legislative Affairs Nikki da Costa is heavily pregnant and just about to go on maternity leave.

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The expert strategist on Commons procedures will have left No10 in “a few days”, a Downing Street source has revealed.

The departure means Boris will be without her just as he makes a last desperate attempt to try to enforce Britain’s exit from the EU on October 31, with or without a deal.

Rebel Tory MPs plan to again ally with Labour and other opposition parties for a showdown vote to insist on at least a three month delay on October 19.

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An old Downing Street hand, Ms da Costa also worked for Theresa May in No10 in the same role.

But she was one of two senior advisers blamed for the prorogation disaster last month, when the PM’s advice to the Queen to suspend Parliament for five weeks was deemed an unlawful by the Supreme Court.

A Downing Street source said: “Nikki is very well organised, which means she has meticulous plans already in place for her replacement”.

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