Welsh MPs sang ‘Calon Lân’ as Prime Minister Boris Johnson shut down parliament for five weeks last night.

Opposition MPs believe the prorogation is an attempt by the government to avoid scrutiny during a crucial period in Brexit negotiations.

MPs will not now sit until October 14 after the Queen prorogued parliament on the PM’s instructions.

Footage shot inside the House of Commons by SNP MP Hannag Bardell showed MPs including Plaid Cymru’s Jonathan Edwards and Ben Lake, and Labour’s Albert Owen, Tonia Antioniazzi, and Stephen Doughty leading the singing.

The Welsh members also gave us a beautiful song. With harmony! ??????? pic.twitter.com/iXV8xeuDoX — Hannah Bardell ????????️‍? (@HannahB4LiviMP) September 10, 2019

A group of MPs also staged a protest in the House of Commons as the official ceremony to suspend Parliament took place.

Signs with “silenced” written on them were held by some Labour MPs. Lloyd Russell-Moyle, Brighton Kemptown MP appeared to try to hold on to Speaker John Bercow at the point he was requested to lead MPs to the Lords, with doorkeepers intervening.

Ahead of the formal process Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “This Government is only interested in shutting down Parliament to avoid any scrutiny.

“His obfuscations and evasions are being rumbled – both at home and abroad – and that is why he doesn’t answer questions and he is so keen to avoid scrutiny.

“Tonight he will attempt to prorogue Parliament for one of the longest prorogations there has ever been – shutting down Parliament, shutting down democracy, avoiding questions, taking this country over a cliff of a no-deal exit with all the damage that will do to many of the poorest and most vulnerable communities in our society.”

‘Productive’

The prorogation followed a cross-party meeting between opposition Westminster leaders to find a way forward to stop the UK Government allowing the state to crash out of the EU on October 31st.

Following a meeting between the parliamentary leaders of Plaid Cymru, the SNP, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party and the Independent Group for Change, Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts MP said:

“We had a productive meeting this morning where I made absolutely clear that Plaid Cymru will leave no stone unturned in our attempts to stop Boris Johnson from inflicting the calamity of a crash out Brexit upon the people of Wales.

“I am glad that as opposition parties, we are united in our belief that Boris Johnson’s attempt to undermine the rule of law must be stopped. If the Prime Minister refuses to seek an extension to the period under Article 50, he will have broken the law – plain and simple – and he must be subject to legal repercussions.

“I told other opposition parties this morning that if he does break the law, we should be ready to impeach Boris Johnson – a procedure that he himself supported in 2004 when current Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price sought to impeach Tony Blair for lying.

“I was also clear in the meeting that Plaid Cymru believes that now, all opposition parties should be united not only in opposition to no-deal, but also in favour of a positive alternative. The best way of dealing with this deepening crisis is to take this question back to the people and let them reclaim control over this mess – through stopping Brexit.”