Brexit: Boris Johnson asks Queen suspend parliament in bid to force through no-deal

Prime minister’s decision sparks outrage and threats of no-confidence vote in government

Boris Johnson has asked the Queen to suspend parliament from mid-September until just two weeks before the 31 October deadline.

The explosive move will be seen as an attempt to stop MPs from preventing the prime minister forcing through a no-deal Brexit.

Mr Johnson said parliament would be suspended days after MPs return from their summer recess next week and would only resume for a Queen’s Speech on 14 October.

Parliament will not sit from the second week of September, meaning there will be just over week between MPs returning from their summer break and the suspension beginning.

It means there will be barely any time for parliament to pass legislation blocking a no-deal Brexit if Mr Johnson fails to secure a fresh agreement with the EU.​​

Proroguing parliament has been mooted for months but is seen as a hugely controversial, given it would effectively sideline MPs and peers during a time of potential national crisis.

Opponents of Mr Johnson said the move was “deeply dangerous and irresponsible” and “an utterly scandalous affront to our democracy”.

A group of MPs launched a legal bid earlier in the summer to stop Mr Johnson proroguing parliament, arguing that it was unconstitutional.

However, the government claimed that the move is normal procedure ahead of a Queen’s Speech. Parliament typically does not sit for several days before the event, which marks the start of the parliamentary sitting.

Downing Street sources said that, because of a planned break for the party conferences in late September and early October, only around four parliamentary days would be lost because of the suspension.

Mr Johnson insisted that there would be enough time before and after a crunch European Council meeting on 17 October for MPs to debate Brexit.

He said: ”We’ve got to move ahead now with a new legislative programme, and there will be ample time on both sides of that crucial 17 October summit, in parliament, for MPs to debate the EU, to debate Brexit, and all the other issues.”

He said it was “completely untrue” that the suspension was designed to stop MPs blocking his Brexit plans.

But the move sparked fury from MPs across the Commons.

John Bercow, the speaker, said he had had no contact from the government but that proroguing parliament “represents a constitutional outrage”.

He said: “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. “

Conservative rebel Dominic Grieve, a formal attorney general, said proroguing parliament was “unprecedented” and claimed Mr Johnson would “come to regret it”. He suggested MPs could vote down the government before parliament is suspended.

He said: “I think that the prime minister’s decision is deeply questionable and frankly pretty outrageous.

“He knows very well that we’re in the middle of a national crisis, he knows very well that parliament is extremely concerned about the possibility of a no-deal Brexit and this has very little to do with starting a new session of parliament – it’s a deliberate attempt to make sure that parliament doesn’t sit for a five-week period.”

He added: “This is an attempt to govern without parliament. It’s pretty unprecedented and the government will come to regret it.”

Mr Grieve said that, if attempts to avoid prorogation failed, MPs would move ”very quickly to a vote of no confidence in the government”. He said: “If it is impossible to prevent prorogation then it is going to be very difficult for people like myself to have keep confidence in the government and I can well see why the leader of the Opposition might wish to call a vote of no confidence.”

Justine Greening, another Tory former cabinet minister, said: “Totally wrong to prorogue parliament. Everyone can see this for what it is, a grubby attempt to force no deal.”

Tom Watson, Labour’s deputy leader, called the decision “an utterly scandalous affront to our democracy”. Yvette Cooper, chair of the Commons home affairs committee 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.”

Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson said: “Shutting down parliament would be an act of cowardice from Boris Johnson. He knows the people would not choose a no-deal and that elected representatives wouldn’t allow it. He is trying to stifle their voices.”