Alghadeer TV Alghadeer TV
The Queen has approved the order to suspend Parliament, a formal but necessary step of Boris Johnson’s plan.
The Privy Council, a body of senior politicians who act as the Queen’s official advisers, requested Wednesday that the Queen “prorogues,” or suspends, Parliament. The Queen is currently on holiday in Scotland.
According to a statement from the Privy Council, the Queen has approved the suspension of Parliament “no earlier than Monday 9th September and no later than Thursday 12th September” until October 14.
Parliament will be suspended just days after MPs return to work in September – and only a few weeks before the Brexit deadline.
Boris Johnson said a Queen’s Speech would take place after the suspension, on 14 October, to outline his “very exciting agenda”.
But it means the time MPs have to pass laws to stop a no-deal Brexit on 31 October would be cut.
House of Commons Speaker John Bercow said it was a “constitutional outrage”.
The speaker, who does not traditionally comment on political announcements, continued: “However it is dressed up, it is blindingly obvious that the purpose of [suspending Parliament] now would be to stop [MPs] debating Brexit and performing its duty in shaping a course for the country.”
It would be “an offense against the democratic process and the rights of Parliamentarians as the people’s elected representatives”, he added.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “Suspending Parliament is not acceptable, it is not on. What the prime minister is doing is a smash and grab on our democracy to force through a no-deal,” he said.
He said when MPs return to the Commons next Tuesday, “the first thing we’ll do is attempt legislation to prevent what [the PM] is doing”, followed by a vote of no confidence “at some point”.
“Our prime minister needs to be held to account by Parliament,” he added.
But US President Donald Trump tweeted his support for Johnson, saying it “would be very hard” for Corbyn to seek a no-confidence vote against the PM, “especially in light of the fact that Boris is exactly what the UK has been looking for”.
