Boris Johnson has asked the Queen to suspend parliament from mid-September until just two weeks before the 31 October deadline.

The explosive move will be seen as an attempt to stop MPs from preventing the prime minister forcing through a no-deal Brexit.

Mr Johnson said parliament would be suspended days after MPs return from their summer recess next week and would only resume for a Queen’s Speech on 14 October.

Parliament will not sit from the second week of September, meaning there will be just over week between MPs returning from their summer break and the suspension beginning.

It means there will be barely any time for parliament to pass legislation blocking a no-deal Brexit if Mr Johnson fails to secure a fresh agreement with the EU.​​

Proroguing parliament has been mooted for months but is seen as a hugely controversial, given it would effectively sideline MPs and peers during a time of potential national crisis.

Opponents of Mr Johnson said the move was “deeply dangerous and irresponsible” and “an utterly scandalous affront to our democracy”.

Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out Show all 40 1 /40 Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Jacob Rees-Mogg Jacob Rees Mogg appointed Leader of the Commons AFP/Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Esther McVey Esther McVey appointed housing secretary AFP/Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Jo Johnson Jo Johnson appointed new business and energy secretary EPA Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Brandon Lewis Brandon Lewis appointed immigration secretary Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: James Cleverly James Cleverly appointed Conservative Party chairman PA Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Baroness Evans Baroness Evans remains Leader of Lords PA Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Julian Smith Julian Smith appointed Northern Irish secretary Reuters Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Alister Jack Alister jack appointed Scottish secretary PA Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Alun Cairns Alun Cairns remains Welsh secretary AFP/Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Grant Shapps Grant Shapps appointed transport secretary Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Alok Sharma Alok Sharma appointed international development secretary AFP/Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Robert Buckland Robert Buckland appointed justice secretary Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Amber Rudd Amber Rudd remains work and pensions secretary Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Robert Jenrick Robert Jenrick appointed housing and communities secretary AFP/Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Andrea Leadsom Andrea Leadsom appointed business secretary Reuters Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Nicky Morgan Nicky Morgan appointed culture secretary Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Gavin Williamson Gavin Williamson appointed education secretary AFP/Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Theresa Villiers Theresa Villiers appointed environment secretary AFP/Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Liz Truss Liz Truss is appointed international trade secretary Reuters Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Ben Wallace Ben Wallace appointed defence secretary EPA Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Stephen Barclay Stephen Barclay remains EU secretary AFP/Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Dominic Raab Dominic Raab appointed foreign secretary AFP/Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Priti Patel Priti Patel appointed home secretary AFP/Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Michael Gove Michael Gove given Chandellor of the Duchy of Lancaster AFP Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Sajid Javid Sajid Javid is appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer AP Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out Out: Jeremy Hunt Jeremy Hunt sacked as foreign secretary Reuters Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out In: Matt Hancock Matt Hancock remains health secretary AFP/Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out Out: Chris Grayling Chris Grayling resigned as transport secretary Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out Out: Jeremy Wright Jeremy Wright sacked as culture secretary PA Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out Out: Karen Bradley Karen Bradley sacked as Northern Ireland secretary Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out Out: James Brokenshire James Brokenshire sacked as housing and communities secretary Reuters Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out Out: Penny Mordaunt Penny Mourdaunt sacked as defence secretary Reuters Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out Out: Liam Fox Liam Fox sacked as international trade secretary Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out Out: Greg Clarke Greg Clarke sacked as business secretary PA Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out Out: David Mundell David Mundell sacked as Scottish secretary Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out Out: Damien Hinds Damien Hinds sacked as education secretary Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out Out: David Gauke David Gauke resigned as justice secretary EPA Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out Out: Rory Stewart Rory Stewart resigned as international development secretary Getty Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out Out: David Lidlington David Lidlington resigned as deputy Prime Minister PA Boris Johnson's cabinet: Who's in and who's out Out: Philip Hammond Philip Hammond resigned as Chancellor of the Exchequer AFP/Getty

A group of MPs launched a legal bid earlier in the summer to stop Mr Johnson proroguing parliament, arguing that it was unconstitutional.

However, the government claimed that the move is normal procedure ahead of a Queen’s Speech. Parliament typically does not sit for several days before the event, which marks the start of the parliamentary sitting.

Downing Street sources said that, because of a planned break for the party conferences in late September and early October, only around four parliamentary days would be lost because of the suspension.

Mr Johnson insisted that there would be enough time before and after a crunch European Council meeting on 17 October for MPs to debate Brexit.

He said: ”We’ve got to move ahead now with a new legislative programme, and there will be ample time on both sides of that crucial 17 October summit, in parliament, for MPs to debate the EU, to debate Brexit, and all the other issues.”

He said it was “completely untrue” that the suspension was designed to stop MPs blocking his Brexit plans.

But the move sparked fury from MPs across the Commons.

John McDonnell warns Boris Johnson not to shut down parliament

John Bercow, the speaker, said he had had no contact from the government but that proroguing parliament “represents a constitutional outrage”.

He said: “However it is dressed up, it is blindingly obvious that the purpose of prorogation now would be to stop parliament debating Brexit and performing its duty in shaping a course for the country.

At this time, one of the most challenging periods in our nation’s history, it is vital that our elected parliament has its say. After all, we live in a parliamentary democracy. Shutting down parliament would be an offence against the democratic process and the rights of parliamentarians as the people’s elected representatives. “

Conservative rebel Dominic Grieve, a formal attorney general, said proroguing parliament was “unprecedented” and claimed Mr Johnson would “come to regret it”. He suggested MPs could vote down the government before parliament is suspended.

He said: “I think that the prime minister’s decision is deeply questionable and frankly pretty outrageous.

“He knows very well that we’re in the middle of a national crisis, he knows very well that parliament is extremely concerned about the possibility of a no-deal Brexit and this has very little to do with starting a new session of parliament – it’s a deliberate attempt to make sure that parliament doesn’t sit for a five-week period.”

He added: “This is an attempt to govern without parliament. It’s pretty unprecedented and the government will come to regret it.”

Mr Grieve said that, if attempts to avoid prorogation failed, MPs would move ”very quickly to a vote of no confidence in the government”. He said: “If it is impossible to prevent prorogation then it is going to be very difficult for people like myself to have keep confidence in the government and I can well see why the leader of the Opposition might wish to call a vote of no confidence.”

Justine Greening, another Tory former cabinet minister, said: “Totally wrong to prorogue parliament. Everyone can see this for what it is, a grubby attempt to force no deal.”

Tom Watson, Labour’s deputy leader, called the decision “an utterly scandalous affront to our democracy”. Yvette Cooper, chair of the Commons home affairs committee tweeted: “Boris Johnson is trying to use the Queen to concentrate power in his own hands – this is a deeply dangerous and irresponsible way to govern.”