28/08/2019
Boris Johnson has apparently asked the Queen to suspend Parliament about a week after MPs return to work in September. The length of the prorogation is particularly disturbing, as it would appear to be about five weeks and will only end about two weeks before the Brexit deadline.
The Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, has said that he hadn't been contacted by the government about proroguing parliament. He stated that, “However it is dressed up, it is blindingly obvious that the purpose of prorogation now would be to stop parliament debating Brexit and performing its duty in shaping a course for the country. At this time, one of the most challenging periods in our nation’s history, it is vital that our elected parliament has its say. After all, we live in a parliamentary democracy. Shutting down parliament would be an offence against the democratic process and the rights of parliamentarians as the people’s elected representatives. “
The length of this proposed suspension of parliament is unprecedented in modern politics; prorogation can be just a few days, but has been as long as a couple of weeks. The indication provided by the Prime Minister would suggest that this suspension of parliament is expected to last five weeks; at a time when the country most needs its parliamentarians to actually be doing their job.
It would be entirely reasonable to expect the party conference season to be cancelled or postponed. It is outrageous that, almost immediately after coming back from their long summer break, the Prime Minister is suspending parliament for a extended period.
It seems likely that there will be a vote of no-confidence in the government, perhaps within a few days of parliament resuming on Monday 2nd September 2019. Much as I would love to see the Prime Minister lose such a vote, I do worry about what would happen next.
It now appears to me that the right outcome would be for a general election to be called as a matter of urgency, with all parties agreeing to commit to a second referendum so that the British people can make a decision based upon an understanding of the lies and misrepresentations that have clouded not just parliament but the British society for the last three and a half years.
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