Queen Will Suspend Parliament
The queen has agreed to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s request to suspend Parliament for several weeks in September and October.
The move likely will allow him to bypass lawmakers and push through a no-deal Brexit. https://t.co/NIaeoSjfO6
— NPR (@NPR) August 28, 2019
The BBC reports Parliament to be Suspended in September
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.”
Three Conservative members of the Queen’s Privy Council took the request to suspend Parliament to the monarch’s Scottish residence in Balmoral on Wednesday morning on behalf of the prime minister.
It has now been approved, allowing the government to suspend Parliament no earlier than Monday 9 September and no later than Thursday 12 September, until Monday 14 October.
While it is not possible to mount a legal challenge to the Queen’s exercise of her personal prerogative powers, BBC legal affairs correspondent Clive Coleman said a judicial review could be launched into the advice given to her by the prime minister – to determine whether that advice was lawful.
Guardian Live
The Guardian Live Blog has more details.
Can MPs Stop Prorogation?
No. Parliament is due to go on a three-week conference recess anyway in the second week of September and there had been suggestions MPs would vote against holding this recess, or any attempt to extend it. However, proroguing parliament is not voted on by MPs so cannot be stopped in this way.
Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn Comments
“What the prime minister is doing is a sort of smash and grab on our democracy in order to force through a no-deal exit from the European Union. What is he so afraid of that he has to suspend parliament in order to prevent parliament discussing these matters?
Corbyn said the first thing Labour would do was to put forward legislation to prevent the suspension, and than there would be a challenge in the form of a vote of no confidence.
Asked about plans by a cross-party group of MPs to hold an alternative parliament, and calls by some Labour MPs for people to take to the streets, he replied: “We will do everything that we can. We will join everybody else in doing that.”
Boris Johnson Confirms Queens Speech on October 14
“As I said on the steps of Downing Street, we’re not going to wait until 31 October before getting on with our plans to take this country forward. This is a new government with a very exciting agenda … We have to be bringing forward new and important bills. That’s why we are going to have a Queen’s speech and we are going to do it on 14 October.”
Stop the Coup
Incredible scenes tonight as thousands of protestors pour onto the streets in Westminster shouting “STOP THE COUP”. Traffic has been brought to standstill. Huge huge anger. pic.twitter.com/QgwQRACoC0
— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) August 28, 2019
This is an emergency! Parliament is being shut down by a Prime Minister who wants to bypass it to force through #Brexit.
Join the resistance now.
Flash protest in City Square #Leeds 5.30pm Thursday.
+ Join Leeds for Europe at https://t.co/yukG7iMjF7. We need you NOW! pic.twitter.com/pZGO5LO0zo— Leeds for Europe 🇪🇺🇺🇦 (@LeedsEurope) August 28, 2019
Trump Enters the Fray
Would be very hard for Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain’s Labour Party, to seek a no-confidence vote against New Prime Minister Boris Johnson, especially in light of the fact that Boris is exactly what the U.K. has been looking for, & will prove to be “a great one!” Love U.K.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 28, 2019
Boris Will Likely Call For Elections
Boris will likely call for elections, but two-thirds of parliament has to agree.
Boris also needs two thirds of MPs to agree to an election under FTPA, can’t just call one himself – and they may not. All depends on whether Corbyn agrees to whip in favour or insist on legislation to block No Deal first.
— Tom Newton Dunn (@tnewtondunn) August 28, 2019
Parliament Efforts
The articles discuss parliamentary legislation but such talk is useless.
Parliament can vote all it wants to prevent No Deal but such votes are not binding.
Boris Johnson set a date of October 14 for the Queen’s Speech. Parliament can only amend legislation at that time. It will be too late to stop Brexit.
The one and only option on the table that could work is if on September 3 parliament passes a motion of No Confidence and simultaneously comes up with a candidate that has a majority.
https://twitter.com/SebastianEPayne/status/1166647168368660481
Any Tories who vote against the government will be outed and lose their seats in the next election.
Even then, Boris Johnson could refuse to stand down as the above Tweet suggests, but that would likely trigger a court challenge.
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
The British people voted for Brexit. The Prime Minister is following through on the will of the voters.
What a pathetic Kingdom…united, my ass…
The remainers will burn down the fort, to try and stop brexit, deal or no deal…
Corbyn, you have had your chance, so stop whining.
I really hope that Scotland will leave the “united” kingdom and thus destroy the monarchy, the pound ” sterling” and that England ends in hell, for stealing the third worlds wealth and future.
Britain should be forced to return ALL the gold that she has STOLEN from Afrika, and the common wealth, at 35 us$ per ounce, and 1 pound “sterling” /14 oz of silver for 1 £, and all natural ressources should be nationalized and taken as compensation for the Siama / AIDS deliberate use as a biological weapon against Africa.
The whole world needs to stand up and defy the USA and britain and deny to accept the us $ and the british £, for their murder of the UN – 1961 DAG Hammerskjold.
See the Documentary and you will understand how crooked the “empire really is”.
No other man than Rothchild has benifitted more the plunder of Africa, while at the same time was behind the London ” FIX ” ing of the gold price.
This was pure slavery at 35 $ per oz of gold, and made billions for 1 family, that never had a shovel in their hand. The greediest family on this planet. ? or is that the Royal families a,b,c.
….and what atrocities have the Spaniards committed and stolen in South America, and the french whererever they could, the Germans, the Dutch … not to mention my tiny little Belgium,cutting off them poor ni…blackys ‘ hands…awfull …..Pay back time for all ? So the corrupt leaders can get even richer ? You d better face the fact that life is not fair, it never was and it NEVER will be because it is life, the struggle for it and the survival of the fittest , and that s the way it should be ….we wouldn t be a INSANE 8 billion on a half destroyed planet if we lived in harmony with natural laws….
As soon as it was announced here that BJ was doing this act of parliament, the first place I cam was here to take your view. I love listening to your views on things. Keep up the great work and thank you!! Love from the UK to the US!!
The opposition to Brexit- and let us be honest, the opposition is to Brexit, not no deal Brexit- now faces a choice. It either gives up the ghost and concedes defeat, votes no confidence before Parliament closes for the recess in September and comes up with another PM who will stop Brexit with a majority in Parliament, or votes no confidence and tries to force elections before October 31st. That is pretty much all the options at this point that are legal.
Now, I don’t completely discount the possibility that extra-legal means to stop Johnson won’t be taken- we are further down the rabbit hole than I would have expected 3 years ago.
Yes, but if they force a no confidence vote and appoint Corbyn to a caretaker position they will still not have the votes to stop Brexit, or do a deal that is as good as remaining. And for the first time in a long time the Queen could well step into the fray, not accept Corbyn or any other remainer as PM. I was shocked to see that she suspended parliament so maybe she really is a Brexiteer. Perhaps she sees the EU as a threat to the sovereignty of the nation she is queen of. I know I would. As far as the 40 billion pound bill the EU is trying to stick the UK with UP the EU, Britain has paid in more than they got back so they should pony up their own bill to the EU and net it out. Something tells me Frankfurt (Yeah I know…. Brussels, but does anyone really believe that Brussels calls the shots in the EU?) would be the one owing.
With respect, it is a bit more complicated and clever than that. If when the House resumes next week Corbyn tables a No Confidence motion the earliest it could be debated would be Wednesday. Even of he won Boris doesn’t resign as under the Fixed Term Act there is this 14 day window. The Act is silent on what happens, but for Boris to resign he would have to be convinced that x, y or z could command a majority before he would resign and advise Her Majesty to summon them. The earliest date according to the Order in Council that Parliament can be prorogued is Monday the 9th, so unless the rebels move pretty damn quickly I doubt very much that they have enough time to form a new government. That would mean the 14 day clock ticks away and Parliament wouldn’t be sitting so by default no new government could be formed thus a general election follows. That means the earliest date that could happen would be 25 days after dissolution so it is either the 17th (at a pinch), 24 or 31st October. But this date is set by the Prime Minister via the Proclamation Summoning a New Parliament so it could be the first Thursday in November. I think the Remainiacs are boxed in.
Further, if they try (as they probably will) the legislative route they have to be able to get their hands on controlling the order paper, which means wednesday/thursday. They could say that the House would continue to sit ignoring the weekend, although it is not due to sit on Friday. It depends on what they want to do as if their proposed Bill touches on the Royal Prerogative they need Royal Consent to even discuss it (guess who controls that !) and if it would entail public expenditure, which their ideas probably would, then for the Bill to proceed would require a money resolution and again guess who controls that ! They it has to get through the House of Lords and it is very easy to filibuster in the Lords and then if he wanted to go nuclear at the end of all this it could be refused Royal Assent, either by not bring the Bill forward so it dies at Prorogation or outright refuse to give it Assent as Queen Anne did in 1708.
Andrew; thank you for the clarification, and example, who knew that parliamentary maneuvering was that complicated, at least on this side of the Atlantic.
You forgot one thing, Mish. The EU parliament now KNOWS it can only stop no-deal by agreeing to changes. BoJo has said that the only part of May’s deal that he objects to is the Irish backstop. Presumably, that means a customs union, temporary or permanent, is on the table. Another thing is the VAT. The EU requires a 15% minimum VAT. I personally despise the VAT as would any libertarian, including yourself. Thirdly, there is a big chunk of money involved. Suppose the EU agrees to removal of the backstop, but at the cost of one or more of these other things?
Hopefully, the EU will accept no-deal Brexit and blame it for the upcoming recession. Until it happens, however, I’m pessimistic, but less so.
Remember Woo, Germany is already in recession, and they ARE the EU for all that matters.
This was more about saving Britain from the EU than keeping Boris Johnson in power. Seems like a noble sacrifice.
This has been dragging on for way too long.
Wow, I am shocked actually. Something tells me John Bercow is not invited to Christmas celebrations this year, accusing the queen of an unconstitutional move, dude has brass balls.
“What the prime minister is doing is a sort of smash and grab on our democracy in order to force through a no-deal exit from the European Union. What is he so afraid of that he has to suspend parliament in order to prevent parliament discussing these matters?” Said the guy that LOST and has been attempting to derail the vote ever since. Corbyn and the remainers never had any intention of abiding by the will of the people. I mean you all complain about dems not getting over HRC losing, this guy is in a class by himself when it comes to not accepting election results.
I am very happy the queen did this, now I hope the results will be that the remainers finally realize they lost and will instead work for a deal that CAN be done for the good of the most on both sides of the channel. I also hope the EU confederacy collapses into the hell it came from.
Good or bad, this is a transparent move to limit the amount of time parliament has to make more attempts at derailing Brexit. Johnson wouldn’t be doing this if he didn’t feel there was a risk parliament could throw a monkey wrench into the Brexit gears.
Also, it’s important to keep in mind that this prorogation move only reduces the sitting time of parliament by a maximum of six days. There is already a lengthy recess scheduled that would occur even without prorogation.
I don’t really see what Johnson gets by just eliminating a mere six days of parliament seating time. But neither do I see what six additional days buys the opposition. If they are unable to defeat the government in the active sessions they will still get with prorogation why would another six help?
“Can MPs Stop Prorogation?
No. Parliament is due to go on a three-week conference recess anyway in the second week of September and there had been suggestions MPs would vote against holding this recess, or any attempt to extend it. However, proroguing parliament is not voted on by MPs so cannot be stopped in this way.”
The pound is marginally down but otherwise please note the collective yawn around the world.