Yes, Boris Johnson Is Trying to Suspend Parliament… Again
Credit to Author: Tim Hume| Date: Wed, 02 Oct 2019 21:05:51 +0000
LONDON — Boris Johnson was accused of lying to the queen when he illegally suspended Parliament last month.
But that hasn’t scared him off coming back for a second shot.
This time, though, Parliament will be suspended for a much shorter period, ending its current session on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 8, before resuming the following Monday.
The government says the move is necessary to deliver the Queen’s Speech — the traditional procedure marking the beginning of a new session of Parliament, in which the queen outlines the government’s legislative agenda for the new session.
Johnson, who became prime minister in July, was handed a humiliating smackdown by the country’s Supreme Court last month when it ruled his attempt to suspend Parliament for an extraordinary five weeks — taking it out of action for a critical period ahead of Britain’s scheduled departure from the EU on Oct. 31 — was politically motivated and unlawful. Parliament was then swiftly reinstated, but according to parliamentary procedures, the current session still needs to be brought to an end.
Johnson said at the time he would abide by the ruling, even though he strongly disagreed with it. The ruling prompted widespread calls for Johnson to resign for misleading the queen.
Read: Boris Johnson Must Know the EU Will Never Accept His Latest Brexit Pitch
In a statement, Downing Street said the suspension would be “for the shortest time possible” to allow the government to prepare for the state opening of Parliament.
Johnson said the Queen’s Speech would outline the government’s plans for domestic issues: the national health service, education, crime, and the economy.
“We will get Brexit done on Oct. 31 and continue delivering on these vital issues.”
The announcement came just hours after Britain delivered its final pitch to the EU for a last-minute Brexit deal. Johnson has said he hopes to secure a deal with EU leaders at a critical summit starting Oct. 17, but insists Britain will leave the bloc at the end of the month whether it has an agreement or not.
Cover: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street for Parliament in London, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019. British Attorney General Geoffrey Cox accused Parliament on Wednesday of being a "disgrace" as lawmakers returned for the first day of work since a bombshell court decision deemed Johnson's suspension of Parliament to be illegal. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
This article originally appeared on VICE US.