MPs decried Boris Johnson’s decision to prorogue parliament as reckless and unconstitutional on Wednesday, with senior figures suggesting radical action including protests, a general strike and civil service disobedience.

MPs and other senior politicians suggested a number of increasingly drastic proposals to take on Johnson. Robert Kerslake, the former head of the civil service, suggested civil servants needed to examine their conscience as to whether they could support the government’s actions.

“We are reaching the point where the civil service must consider putting its stewardship of the country ahead of service to the government of the day,” Lord Kerslake said.

Play Video 1:50 Boris Johnson confirms plan to suspend UK parliament – video

The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and the Liberal Democrat leader, Jo Swinson, demanded an intervention from the Queen, suggesting the prime minister had put the monarch in an unforgivable position that set her at odds with the majority in parliament.

Corbyn said there was “a danger that the royal prerogative is being set directly against the wishes of a majority of the House of Commons”.

He said the granting of Johnson’s request would “deprive the electorate of the opportunity to have their representatives hold the government to account, make any key decisions and ensure that there is a lawful basis for action taken”.

Swinson said she had also requested a meeting with the Queen. “This is a crucial time in our country’s history, and yet our prime minister is arrogantly attempting to force through a no-deal Brexit against the democratic will. He is outrageously stifling the voices of both the people and their representatives,” she said.



“It is appalling that the prime minister has forced opposition leaders into taking this action. However, we must take all measures necessary to avoid a disastrous no-deal Brexit, for which there is no mandate.”

The call for the Queen to meet opposition leaders before the decision to prorogue came too late to have any effect, however.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A protester depicts Boris Johnson burying democracy outside the gates of Downing Street. Photograph: Will Oliver/EPA

As Corbyn fired off his missive to the palace, the sign-off for prorogation had already been completed at Balmoral as requested by the three privy counsellors designated by Johnson: Jacob Rees-Mogg, Mark Spencer and Lady Evans.

Condemnation of Johnson came from all political quarters, including his own party. The former justice secretary David Gauke said it was a dangerous precedent and suggested Conservative MPs should look at the wider perspective.

“Put to one side your views of a no-deal Brexit. Imagine that Jeremy Corbyn is PM, pursuing a policy that is unpopular in parliament and in the country. At a crucial moment he finds a way to evade parliamentary scrutiny for several weeks,” he tweeted.

Rory Stewart, the former international development secretary who has previously suggested he would set up an alternative parliament should the House of Commons be suspended, said: “The best and indeed only solution to Brexit remains a compromise. Parliament should not be suspended. I will vote against a no-deal Brexit because it would be damaging, divisive and unnecessary. We can do much better.”

Other Conservative backbenchers who have suggested they could back attempts to stop no deal voiced unease. Simon Hoare said the move was “an executive seeking to abuse one of its (perfectly proper) powers”.

Antoinette Sandbach, an MP who has previously rebelled on Brexit legislation, said she had been inundated with letters from angry constituents. “The proposal is an affront to democratic accountability at a time when the new PM should be happy to be scrutinised by elected MPs,” she said.

The former Tory deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine also said he was appalled by the announcement. “The government’s decision is a constitutional outrage,” he said.

“A government which is frightened of parliament is frightened of democracy. I hope that every member of parliament, in feeling this humiliation, will use every legal and constitutional weapon to obstruct a government proposing to force on the British people a historic change for which they have long since lost any mandate,” Lord Heseltine said.

The former Conservative MP Nick Boles, who sits as an independent, tweeted that the news should “stiffen backbones and concentrate minds” to get anti no-deal legislation passed.

“The government’s plan to prorogue parliament until 14 October clarifies the choice for MPs who want to stop a no-deal Brexit,” he said. “If they don’t support legislative steps next week, there will be no second chance.”

The Scottish first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said Johnson must now call an election. Calling the prorogation “a dark day for democracy”, the SNP leader said: “Call an election now – with polling day before October 31 – and let the people vote. Or are you frit?”

Senior Labour MPs including the shadow equalities minister, Dawn Butler, and the shadow Treasury minister Clive Lewis suggested they may even refuse to vacate parliament once it is suspended.

“If Boris Johnson thinks he can suspend parliament and force through no deal he has another think coming,” Lewis said.

“We will build a mass movement to save democracy, and everyone who wants to stop this travesty must get ready to mobilise, demonstrate and resist. MPs, too, will have to play their part. They’ll have to drag me out of the chamber.”

Brexit: shutting down parliament 'gravest abuse of power in living memory' Read more

The Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle, who grabbed parliament’s ceremonial mace in protest at the cancellation of the first withdrawal agreement vote last year, told the Mirror the country should stage a general strike.

“Now it looks more and more like the only way forward to stop our country falling into the hands of the undemocratic right,” he said.

“If the government tries to drive no deal through by stopping parliament from sitting, we cannot just rely on the courts and parliamentary process. We need a mass movement of resistance, with marches, civil disobedience and protests in every village, town and city of this country.”