Rebel British lawmakers from across the political spectrum are gearing up for a clash in the parliament next week after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on August 28 he had obtained permission from Queen Elizabeth II to prorogue parliament for a five-week period ahead of 31 October, the day the United Kingdom (UK) is due to leave the European Union (EU).
Members of parliament (MPs) participated in a series of conference calls the same day in a last-ditch effort to prevent a no-deal outcome, according to British media reports.Rebel British lawmakers from across the political spectrum are gearing up for a clash in the parliament next week after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on August 28 he had obtained permission from Queen Elizabeth II to prorogue parliament for a five-week period ahead of 31 October, the day the United Kingdom (UK) is due to leave the European Union.#
Johnson wants to start a new parliamentary session, with a fresh programme, from 14 October. Instead of a normal three-week autumn recess, parliament will now wrap up sometime around 10 September.
Johnson has promised to complete Brexit with or without a deal. But, most opposition MPs and many from the ruling Conservative Party are against leaving the EU without a deal as they fear it would damage the economy, raise prices and limit access to the UK's biggest market.
House of Commons speaker John Bercow has termed the suspension a ‘constitutional outrage’ designed to prevent MPs from debating Brexit.
Senior EU figures were taken aback, with the European parliament’s Brexit coordinator Guy Verhofstadt calling the move ‘sinister’.
“At a time of national crisis parliament must be able to meet to hold the government to account and to represent our constituents and it is profoundly undemocratic to shut parliament down to stop it doing its job,” former UK chancellor of the exchequer Philip Hammond said.
The UK was originally scheduled to leave the EU on 29 March. After parliament rejected the deal negotiated with the EU three times, that deadline was extended and the departure day is now 31 October.
However, if MPs pass a vote of no-confidence before 10 September, there could be a general election in October. (DS)
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