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'Declaration of war': Boris Johnson to suspend UK Parliament

Author
AP,
Publish Date
Wed, 28 Aug 2019, 9:42PM
Boris Johnson has denied the move will prevent a debate on Brexit. (Photo / Getty)
Boris Johnson has denied the move will prevent a debate on Brexit. (Photo / Getty)

'Declaration of war': Boris Johnson to suspend UK Parliament

Author
AP,
Publish Date
Wed, 28 Aug 2019, 9:42PM

The UK Prime Minister has denied that suspending Parliament will prevent MPs from debating Brexit.

Boris Johnson will ask the Queen to 'prorogue' Parliament for a month until October 14th before a Queen's Speech to lay out his administrations agenda.

MPs from across the political divide have reacted with anger to the news, saying it will prevent them from debating Brexit before the October 31 deadline.

However, Johnson told the BBC that is 'completely untrue' and they will have time.

He insists that they will have 'ample time' to discuss Brexit and the European Union.

The move has not stopped opposition lawmakers from reacting with fury.

"So it seems that Boris Johnson may actually be about to shut down Parliament to force through a no deal Brexit," Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted.

"Unless MPs come together to stop him next week, today will go down in history as a dark one indeed for UK democracy."

Liberal Democrat MP Tom Brake likened it to a 'declaration of war' that will be met with an iron fist. 

The pound plunged on the news, down to $1.2196 from almost $1.2300 the previous day.

A day earlier, opposition lawmakers declared that they will work together to try to stop a departure from the European Union without an agreement, setting up a legislative challenge to Johnson and his promise to complete the divorce by October 31— come what may.

Some 160 lawmakers have signed a declaration pledging "to do whatever is necessary" to prevent Johnson from bypassing Parliament in his plans. Johnson's do-or-die promise has raised worries about a disorderly divorce that would see new tariffs on trade and border checks between Britain and the EU, seriously disrupting business.

Johnson has told European Union officials it won't be possible to stop Britain's departure from the trading bloc without the removal of controversial language about a "backstop" to avoid the return of a border between EU member Ireland and Britain's Northern Ireland. He said at the close of the G-7 summit in Biarritz, France, Monday that he was "marginally more optimistic," of progress.

- AP

 

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