London, August 28
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will limit parliament’s ability to derail his Brexit plan by cutting the amount of time it will sit between now and the EU exit day on October 31, infuriating opponents who urged Queen Elizabeth to intervene.
In his boldest move yet to take the country out of the European Union with or without a divorce deal, Johnson set October 14 for the Queen’s Speech - the formal state opening of a new session of parliament that is proceeded by a suspension of the House of Commons.
The queen agreed to the date, effectively shutting parliament from mid-September for around a month.
Incensed, opposition leaders wrote to the queen to express their concern and asked for a meeting, threatening to drag the 93-year-old monarch into the constitutional crisis.
“There will be ample time in parliament for MPs (Members of Parliament) to debate the EU, Brexit and all the other issues,” Johnson told reporters.
Asked if he was trying to block MPs from delaying Britain’s EU departure, he replied, “That is completely untrue.” While suspending parliament ahead of a Queen’s Speech is the historical norm in Britain, the decision to limit parliamentary scrutiny weeks before the country’s most contentious policy decision in decades prompted an immediate outcry.
It also increased the chances Johnson could face a vote of no-confidence in parliament, potentially leading to an election. US President Donald Trump tweeted, “Would be very hard for Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of Britain’s Labour Party, to seek a no-confidence vote against Boris Johnson, especially in light of the fact that Boris is exactly what the UK has been looking for, & will prove to be a great one! Love U.K.” — Reuters
Move designed to restrict debate, says Speaker John Bercow
London: Parliament’s Speaker John Bercow, a powerful figure who has shown a willingness to break procedural precedents in order to ensure lawmakers can debate Brexit fully, said it was “blindingly obvious” the move was designed to restrict debate. John McDonnell, the second most powerful man in the opposition Labour Party, said, “Make no mistake, this is a very British coup.”The Church of England said a chaotic EU exit would hurt the poor. Pro-EU Conservative lawmaker Dominic Grieve said, “I think (a no-confidence vote) is more likely, because if it is impossible to prevent prorogation, then I think it’s going to be very difficult for people to keep confidence in government.” Reuters
Pound plunges
London: The pound sterling fell to a six-day low on Wednesday, holding barely above $1.22. Sterling traded 0.6% lower by 1500 GMT and was down 0,4% to the euro at 90.6 pence, having earlier weakened to 91.265 pence, the lowest in nearly a week. Derek Halpenny, head of research for global markets at MUFG, said, "No-deal Brexit is looking ever more likely, sterling downside risks will continue to plague the market. Reuters
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