After unsuccessful attempts to induce an early election, the suspension of the British Parliament was announced today. It means that Parliament won’t open again until October 14. Boris Johnson spoke about the need for a suspension to give space to a new speech of the Queen, which will allow a new session of work for the Parliament.
As a consequence, the decision has raised criticisms. Liaison committee member Hilary Benn said: “It is extraordinary that Boris Johnson will shut down parliament this evening for over a month at the very moment when we need our elected MPs to be in the House of Commons holding the government to account. It also means that the prime minister will avoid having to face questions from the Liaison Committee on Wednesday. I don’t think he was relishing the prospect”.
Moreover, one of the move’s strongest critics was John Bercow, the speaker of the House of Commons, who had announced that he would resign on October 31 unless an election was called before that date. According to Bercow, the suspension of parliament was an “offense to the democratic process“. Indeed, he stated that Johnson’s intention was certainly to limit the Brexit debate with this choice.
Despite these voices, a Brexit no-deal could still be imminent: the Prime Minister’s insistence on taking Great Britain out of the European Union is, in fact, still strong.
#Peace.Love.Brexit
