Boris Johnson news: Government lawyer refuses to say whether PM could suspend parliament again, as Supreme Court hears he 'committed worst abuse of power in decades'
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Your support makes all the difference.The legal battle over Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend parliament for five weeks is being heard at the Supreme Court, with Gina Miller’s legal representative arguing the prime minister “abused his power”.
Mr Johnson has pledged to “obey the law” but said he wanted to “wait and see what the judges say” before his government decides whether to recall parliament.
It comes as Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson claimed she is a “candidate for prime minister”, while Tory MPs condemned Luxembourg’s prime minister Xavier Bettel for conducting a press conference next to an empty lectern.
To follow events as they unfolded, see our live coverage below:
According to No 10, Boris Johnson also updated cabinet this morning on the Brexit talks, including his agreement with Jean-Claude Juncker to “intensify the talks”.
The prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “The PM said he continues to believe there is a deal to be done with the EU but at the same time no-deal planning must continue at pace, including through the ongoing Get Ready public information campaign.”
Cabinet did not discuss Luxembourg PM Xavier Bettel’s decision to ‘empty podium’ the prime minister.
Asked if Bettel’s actions were a “media stunt”, the spokesman said: “I will leave it for others to reach their own judgment on what took place.”
The spokesperson pointed to Bettel’s tweet last night, saying he wanted a “good, friendly relationship with the UK going forward”.
Outside the Supreme Court, protesters and interested parties have been sharing their views on the historic case.
Michael A Cantor, a lawyer from Connecticut in New England, in London for a conference, said: “There is no-one I know in the US who is not watching what's going on in the UK, honestly with some horror - unless you are a Trump supporter.”
Referring to Johnson and Donald Trump, the 61-year-old added: “We have a clown and you have a clown.”
Bella Vivat said that the “precedent” Johnson’s actions could set had led her to protest outside the hearing.
The 56-year-old said: “If an executive can just decide to suspend parliament at its own convenience ... where does that stop?”
Karin Bernard, 59, added: “What if he decided to prorogue it forever?”
Ministers have “fiddled the figures” to disguise the true level of chaos at British ports from a no-deal Brexit, it has been alleged.
Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has all the details.
Lord Pannick has been setting out the case for Gina Miller. But she has set out her own argument that the suspension of parliament was unlawful in a piece for The Independent.
Despite the political chaos, new YouGov figures show Boris Johnson has actually grown in popularity since entering No10.
His favourability rating has grown from -21 to -16 (still in negative figures, granted) but he soars above Jeremy Corbyn, who is on -49
A pro-Remain campaign group which urged young people to turn out and vote in the 2016 EU referendum has been fined £1,800 for filing an incomplete spending return.
Wake Up and Vote (WUAV) reported spending of £24,000 on the “5 seconds campaign”, which included a series of videos featuring celebrities Keira Knightley, Lily Cole and Big Narstie.
However, the Electoral Commission, the official elections watchdog, found it failed to declare that it was part of a joint campaign with the advertising agency DDB UK Ltd which spent just over £51,000 on it.
Although both organisations reported their individual spending on the campaign in their official returns, the commission said they should each have declared their total joint spending of just over £75,000.
Ruth Davidson said being "hopelessly conflicted over Brexit" was one of the reasons she resigned her leadership of the Scottish Tories.
The Edinburgh Central MSP also criticised the suspension of parliament, saying it looks like a politically motivated decision by Boris Johnson.
Appearing on ITV's Lorraine, Ms Davidson said: "I think it was done in a bad way but the idea that a prime minister doesn't suspend parliament in order to bring forward a Queen's Speech and a legislative agenda, up until recently that happened almost every year.
"I was quite close to David Cameron and Theresa May, I'm not close to Boris Johnson, I'm not going to pretend that I've ever been part of his inner circle - I haven't - so I don't know why the government chose to do that and that's one of the things the judges are going to be deciding, and what the Scottish case looked at.
"They certainly didn't manage to take the country or the parliament along with them as they did it, and there are questions about that."
Conservative former trade minister Sir Edward Leigh, a candidate hoping to replace John Bercow, has made his pitch to MPs in an email.
He outlined his desire for allowing “serious debate and speeches” while also favouring the abolition of September parliamentary sittings to enable refurbishment work in the Palace of Westminster.
He added: “I would be strictly impartial and deaf to any partisan influence. I would, in quiet dignity, dress, and demeanour, model myself on the present Lord Speaker.
“We should treat MPs as grown-ups and let them know when they will be called at the beginning of debates.
“The Speaker must always be scrupulously fair and polite to colleagues, speaking only to effect and briefly and submerge his personality into the role.”
Sir Edward also said he would “protect the rights” of smaller parties, independents and those who work for MPs.
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