There is nothing normal about this. Boris Johnson is running from scrutiny because he has no Brexit plan

What this manoeuvre reveals is that the prime minister is terrified about being asked questions about what his plan exactly is

The government’s decision to seek to prorogue parliament for over a month has rightly been described by the speaker John Bercow as a “constitutional outrage”. Whatever the prime minister may claim, there is nothing normal about this at all. What he is trying to do is to prevent the House of Commons from holding him and the government to account at this absolutely crucial time for our country and its future. Upholding the principle of parliamentary scrutiny is something we should all support, whatever our views on Brexit.

Boris Johnson is doing this because he knows that there isn’t support in the House of Commons for a no-deal Brexit, and his plain purpose is to make it more difficult for MPs to prevent it by means of legislation. MPs who oppose no deal will therefore have to act with speed, determination and unity when the House returns next week. It really is now or never.

But what this manoeuvre also reveals is that the prime minister isn’t confident of his case and fears being asked lots of questions about what his plan is exactly. Are there detailed negotiations with the EU actually taking place at the moment? Where are the readily available alternative arrangements for the Irish border which he claims can replace the Irish backstop?

Theresa May’s government spent two and a half years looking for them without a breakthrough. How could there possibly be time to get any new deal and its accompanying legislation through parliament between the European Council meeting on 17 October and Halloween? And what would his plan be after 31 October if, heaven forbid, he was able to force the country out of the EU without a deal?

No deal is not a long-term policy. We have some idea of the chaos that would immediately follow from the leaked Operation Yellowhammer report; long delays at the border, shortages of some foods, price rises and huge uncertainty for many businesses.

The government’s own assessment shows that no deal would be the most damaging outcome for the economy. Ministers have even talked about subsidising businesses that will be badly affected. I cannot recall any previous occasion on which a prime minister has argued for a policy that will be so damaging to our country.

But what would happen next? There is little doubt that before the EU would consider starting talks on future arrangements they would require payment of the money we owe, an Irish backstop to maintain the integrity of the border and legal certainty on the rights of citizens. And even assuming that a new trade deal could be done – and very few people think it would be achieved quickly – it would have to be approved by the parliaments of every single EU member state. So it would only take one veto to leave the UK economy in no-deal limbo.

What this shows is that not only is there no mandate for no deal, but it would also be utterly irresponsible.

The prime minister has gone for prorogation because he doesn’t want to have to answer these and many other difficult questions from elected MPs. We should not allow him to get away with only having to face the House of Commons for less than two weeks in his first three months in office. And nor should we allow him to impose a no-deal disaster on the British people.

Hilary Benn is Labour MP for Leeds Central