- Parliament is set to be suspended from mid-September to October 14, less than three weeks before Britain is set to leave the European Union on October 31
- That will give MPs extremely little time to pass legislation to prevent a No Deal
- The Government insists the Queen’s Speech plans are a regular procedural step
Boris Johnson will suspend parliament in a bid to stop MPs thwarting Brexit as the Prime Minister declared war today on the ‘Remain Alliance’.
Mr Johnson intends to send MPs home for most of September and the start of October in a move which will dramatically reduce the amount of time available for them of time to pass laws to block a No Deal divorce from the EU on Halloween.
The PM will hold a Queen’s Speech on October 14 setting out his government’s legislative agenda just two weeks before the UK is due to split from Brussels.
The decision to prorogue parliament for five weeks has sparked a political firestorm as opposition MPs claimed Mr Johnson was behaving like a ‘tin pot dictator’.
However, the Prime Minister defended his decision as he said MPs would still have ‘ample time’ to debate Brexit in the run up to the existing October 31 deadline.
The move significantly increases the possibility of a no confidence vote in the government being held next week when MPs return from their summer holidays.
Remain-backing MPs said yesterday they intended to focus on passing a law to stop a chaotic split rather than a no confidence vote.
But Mr Johnson’s decision to push the nuclear button of suspending parliament means MPs, wary of running out of time to stop a chaotic split, could now shift to the more dramatic option of trying to oust the PM.
Downing Street has dismissed accusations of chicanery by pointing out that under Mr Johnson’s plan MPs will lose just five more days sitting time in the Commons than they were due to anyway because of the scheduled break for party conferences to be held at the end of September.
Regardless of the motivation behind the decision the government is now on a collision course with parliament.
Mr Johnson spoke to the Queen this morning to secure her permission to prorogue Parliament at some point during the week beginning September 9.
The Queen’s role in the process of ending the parliamentary session is mainly procedural and dictated by convention with almost nil chance of her rejecting such a request.
The PM is set to ask the monarch (pictured together on the day he was appointed Prime Minister last month) to prorogue Parliament in September
Allies of Boris Johnson (pictured in the Commons last month) insist the Queen’s Speech is a regular procedural step but he has already been accused of a ‘constitutional outrage’
Mr Johnson outlined his decision to prorogue Parliament in a letter sent to every MP this mornin
Mr Johnson defended the move as he dismissed the suggestion that it was purely motivated by a desire to stop MPs thwarting No Deal.
He has pledged to deliver Brexit with or without a deal by the current deadline.
He said this morning: ‘As I said on the steps of Downing Street we are not going to wait until October 31 before getting on with our plans to take this country forward and this is a new government with a very exciting agenda to make our streets safer… we need to invest in our fantastic NHS, we need to level up education funding across the country, we need to invest in the infrastructure that is going to take this country forward for decades and we need to deal with the cost of living, moving to a high wage, high productivity economy which is what I think this country needs to be.
‘To do that we need new legislation. We have got to be bringing forward new and important bills and that is why we are going to have a Queen’s Speech and we are going to do it on October 14. We have got to move ahead now with a new legislative programme.’
Mr Johnson said MPs would still have time to have their say on the UK’s departure from the bloc.
‘There will be ample time both sides of that crucial October 17 summit, ample time, in Parliament for MPs top debate the EU, to debate Brexit and all the other issues,’ he said.
The October 17 date refers to a scheduled meeting of the European Council in Brussels – the last meeting scheduled before the Brexit deadline.
That meeting is shaping up to be a make or break moment for Britain and the bloc because it will likely represent the last chance for a new deal to be agreed.
Mr Johnson outlined his decision to suspend Parliament in a letter sent to MPs this morning.
In the letter he said: ‘This morning I spoke to Her Majesty The Queen to request an end to the current parliamentary session in the second sitting week in September, before commencing the second session of this Parliament with a Queen’s speech on Monday 14 October.
‘A central feature of the legislative programme will be the Government’s number one legislative priority, if a new deal is forthcoming at EU Council, to introduce a Withdrawal Agreement Bill and move at pace to secure its passage before 31 October.’
Mr Johnson said the weeks leading up to the European Council would be ‘vitally important for the sake of my negotiations with the EU’ in a sign that he does not want MPs to do anything to derail his hopes of striking an agreement.
‘Member States are watching what Parliament does with great interest and it is only by showing unity and resolve that we stand a chance of securing a new deal that can be passed by Parliament,’ he said.
‘In the meantime, the Government will take the responsible approach of continuing its preparations for leaving the EU, with or without a deal.’
Despite Mr Johnson’s protestations to the contrary, opposition politicians responded with fury to the move and accused him of an ‘utterly scandalous’ attempt at sidelining the Commons.
Furious opposition MPs reacted to the news this morning that Parliament would be suspended until shortly before the Brexit deadline
This morning a Downing Street source confirmed the Queen’s Speech would be on October 14 and insisted that only around four Commons sitting days would be lost as a result.
Mr Johnson dismissed any link to Brexit, saying: ‘We’ve got to move ahead now with a new legislative programme.’
‘There will be ample time in Parliament for MPs to debate the EU and Brexit and all the other issues,’ he said.
The current session since June 2017 has been the longest in British history.
However, the move will be widely seen as an attempt to stop the Commons from interfering with the Brexit process.
Just yesterday, cross-party talks led by Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn ended in a promise to stop a No Deal Brexit with new legislation.
That would require opposition MPs to seize control of parliamentary business – an unusual move, but one which has happened already during the Brexit process.
However, MPs cannot pass legislation if they are not sitting and even once they return they will have very limited time.
Under the previous timetable, Commons business would have broken off for the party conference season before MPs returned. The Tory conference finishes on October 2.
Now, time will be even tighter – and the pomp and procedure of the Queen’s Speech – in which the monarch reads out the Government’s legislative programme – and the State Opening of Parliament will eat into it further.
Jacob Rees-Mogg will be among the Privy Councillors asking the Queen to rubber-stamp the plans at Balmoral today.
The Parliamentary session will then be prorogued just a few days after MPs return from their summer recess next week.
Today Mr Johnson’s opponents accused him of committing a ‘constitutional outrage’ to prevent Parliament from stopping a No Deal Brexit.
Labour deputy leader Tom Watson called it an ‘utterly scandalous affront to our democracy’ and said: ‘We must not let this happen’.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: ‘So it seems that Boris Johnson may actually be about to shut down Parliament to force through a no deal Brexit.
Boris Johnson (pictured) is set to ask the Queen to suspend Parliament just weeks before Brexit, in a move which may prevent MPs blocking a No Deal Brexit
Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured) will join Privy Councillors asking the Queen to prorogue Parliament
‘Unless MPs come together to stop him next week, today will go down in history as a dark one indeed for UK democracy’.
Labour’s Angela Rayner compared Mr Johnson to King Charles I, whose defiance of Parliament ended in a war and the King’s execution in 1649.
‘A constitutional outrage plain and simple, Charles I did this regularly which caused chaos, now an unelected PM seeking to shut parliament down for his own political gain, this isn’t taking back democracy this is destroying democracy,’ she said.
Fellow Labour MP and former Government minister Yvette Cooper tweeted: ‘Boris Johnson is trying to use the Queen to concentrate power in his own hands – this is a deeply dangerous and irresponsible way to govern.’
Green MP Caroline Lucas said on Twitter: ‘Wasn’t this meant to be about ‘taking back control’?
‘The act of a cowardly Prime Minister who knows his reckless No Deal Brexit will never gain the support of MPs. A constitutional outrage which Parliament and the people will oppose.’
Independent Group for Change MP Chris Leslie said: ‘If true, this undemocratic manoeuvre to try and shut down Parliament must be fought every step of the way.
‘How totally underhanded of Boris Johnson to make the Queen sign off on this plot it in a secret ceremony up in Balmoral. The House of Commons must assemble and veto this.’
However, a Number 10 source told BBC News that ‘this is about the NHS and violent crime, not Brexit, and the courts have no locus to interfere in a bog standard Queen’s Speech process’.
Mr Johnson is seen on the front bench of the Commons last month. MPs may not return to the chamber until October 14 after Parliament is prorogued
John McDonnell and Ian Blackford, flanked by Caroline Lucas and Jo Swinson, pose for a photograph before signing the ‘Church House Declaration’ promising to oppose any attempt to prorogue Parliament
Britain’s Green Party MP Caroline Lucas (L), Leader of Britain’s Liberal Democrats Jo Swinson (2L), Plaid Cymru Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts (2R) and SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford (r) during the Church House meeting discussing preventing a No Deal Brexit
Tory party chairman James Cleverly backed that interpretation, tweeting: ‘Or to put it another way: Government to hold a Queen’s Speech, just as all new Governments do.’
The move today has also furthered speculation that the Government is set to call a General Election.
Craig Oliver, who was Downing Street Director of Communications under David
Cameron, tweeted: ‘I suspect Number 10 believes it has created a win win scenario with this explosive announcement.
‘Yes – and they get Brexit by October 31st; No – and they get to fight a ‘people versus parliament’ general election.’
The anti-No Deal movement had promised to focus on on passing new legislation when the Commons returns from its summer break on September 3.
Mr Corbyn confirmed he would not immediately push ahead with a move to replace Mr Johnson through a vote of no confidence.
That idea had met resistance because of his plan to lead a caretaker government.
Other opposition figures had called for a compromise candidate who would be more likely to command a cross-party Commons majority as an interim prime minister.
Europhile Tory grandee Ken Clarke and Labour stalwart Harriet Harman had been among the names mentioned.
The meeting yesterday was attended by Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson, SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford, Independent Group for Change leader Anna Soubry, Plaid Cymru leader Liz Saville Roberts and Green Party MP Caroline Lucas.
Last night, Mr Corbyn wrote an extraordinary plea to dozens of Tory MPs urging them to defy their leader.
His letter – to 116 Tory and independent MPs, including Theresa May and Philip Hammond – asked them to support efforts to block a No Deal Brexit.
The plan to take control of the House of Commons would likely to need help from Commons Speaker John Bercow if it is to get off the ground.
(L-R) Shadow chief whip Nick Brown,shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Kier Starmer, shadow leader of the House of Commons Valerie Vaz, Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and shadow chancellor John McDonnell, prior to meeting with senior MPs from across all parties to discuss stopping a no-deal Brexit
MPs will need to find a way of forcing a vote on giving them control of the Commons agenda and that will probably require Mr Bercow to depart from convention to make it happen.
Once a way is found to show there is a majority in favour of such a move, MPs will then set aside time in the diary for them to debate and vote on an anti-No Deal law.
In order to secure such a majority, a number of Tory MPs will have to break ranks and vote with the opposition and Mr Corbyn wrote to them yesterday afternoon to ask for their assistance.
MPs did previously force through the so-called Cooper-Letwin bill in April which forced then-PM Theresa May to seek an extension.
That passed by just one vote.
Allies of Mr Johnson hit out at the opposition leaders, claiming they would ‘sabotage’ the chances of progress on a Brexit deal.
A Number 10 source said: ‘We are now making progress because our European partners realise we are serious about leaving the EU on October 31 – no ifs, no buts.
‘It’s utterly perverse that Corbyn and his allies are actively seeking to sabotage the UK’s position.
Talk of an early election has intensified after Chancellor Sajid Javid’s spending announcement was brought forward to next week.
The statement on September 4 will deliver extra funding for ‘people’s priorities’ including schools, hospitals and the police, Mr Javid said.
Mr Javid asked for a 12-month spending round instead of a longer-term exercise as a way of ‘clearing the decks to allow us to focus on Brexit’.
But Labour dismissed the announcement as a ‘pre-election stunt’ and claimed the Government was in a state of panic.
Meanwhile Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage urged Mr Johnson to take Britain out with no deal.
Saying he would work with the Tories if they delivered a No Deal Brexit Mr Farage said: ‘A Johnson government committed to doing the right thing and the Brexit Party working in tandem would be unstoppable.’
But he also unveiled a 635-strong army of Brexit Party MP candidates as he warned Mr Johnson not to ‘sell out’ Leave voters.
‘If, Mr Johnson, you insist on the Withdrawal Agreement, we will fight you for every single seat’ at a general election, Mr Farage warned, setting up a possible showdown on two fronts for the PM.
source:dailymail