Boris Johnson has asked the Queen to suspend Parliament (Picture: PA)

The Queen has accepted Boris Johnson’s request to suspend Parliament for over a month.

Her Majesty has formally approved the Government’s order for a new Queen’s Speech and prorogation of Parliament from the second week of September.

She gave the green light to his request from her retreat at Balmoral, Scotland, where she is enjoying her summer holiday.

The move, which has prompted a furious political row, now means Tory rebels and the opposition parties face a race against time to stop a no-deal Brexit.


The manoeuvre halves the number of pre-Brexit sitting days when Government ministers can be held to account.



Ministers are set to return to London after the summer recess on September 3.

The Queen has approved the order to prorogue – or pause – Parliament no earlier than September 9 and no later than September 12.

It will return with the Queen’s speech on October 14 – just two weeks before the scheduled Brexit date of Halloween.

The order given by the Queen accepting the suspension of parliament (Picture: Privy Council)

Mr Johnson has said it is ‘completely untrue’ that he is suspending Parliament to stop MPs from attempting to block a no-deal Brexit.

He claims he has a ‘new government’ with an ‘exciting agenda’ that requires new legislation and has pointed out they are only losing four sitting days.

However, the move has been widely viewed as an ‘abuse of power’ and ‘entirely undemocratic.’

Mr Johnson has been accused of acting like a ‘tin-pot dictator’ while Commons speaker John Bercow said the move represented a ‘constitutional outrage’.

A petition to stop the proroguing of Parliament is soaring towards the one million mark while demonstrations are planned in the UK tonight.

A legal challenge has been lodged in Scotland and opposition MPs are likely to call a vote of no confidence when they return from their break.

The pound, already shaky after years of uncertainty around Brexit, took a plunge after Mr Johnson’s plans were announced by Downing Street.

Jacob Rees-Mogg took the request to the Queen (Picture: AP)

Three Conservative members of the Queen’s Privy Council took the request to suspend Parliament to the monarch’s Scottish residence in Balmoral on Wednesday morning on behalf of the prime minister.

Among those was arch-Brexiteer, Commons Leader Jacob Rees Mogg.

The issue has dragged the Queen into the bitter Brexit battle, although she had little choice but to accept Mr Johnson’s request.

While she is technically the head of the government, no sitting monarch has defied the will of the Prime Minister since Queen Anne in 1708.

The Queen has been dragged into the bitter Brexit battle (Picture: Getty)

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson have both written to the Queen to protest about the ‘anti-democratic’ moves by Mr Johnson.

Mr Corbyn accused the Tory Prime Minister of a ‘smash-and-grab on our democracy’ in order to force through a no-deal exit from the bloc.

He said when politicians return next week, his first mission will be to try to legislate to prevent the suspension of Parliament.



If that fails, he will move to a vote of no-confidence in the Conservative government.

Opposition MPs may find support from the Tory speaker, Mr Bercow, who was not informed of the plans.

He interrupted his holiday to launch a tirade against the Brexiteer Prime Minister, railing: ‘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.’

Other leading Tories have also expressed concern, including ex-justice secretary David Gauke, former chancellor Philip Hammond and former attorney general Dominic Grieve.

Meanwhile the DUP – who prop up Mr Johnson’s minority government – have said they support him and he is ‘well within his rights’ to suspend the current parliamentary session, which began in June 2017.

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The decision to suspend Parliament for 32 days has been criticised as an ‘affront’ to Britain’s democracy by parliamentary experts.

The Hansard Society, an independent group studying parliamentary affairs for more than 70 years, said the length of time involved for the suspension of Parliament was ‘unnecessary’.

Director Dr Ruth Fox said: ‘The Government’s decision to prorogue Parliament may not be unconstitutional or unlawful but it is an affront to parliamentary democracy.

‘The Government’s understandable desire to bring this long session to an end and outline a new legislative programme in a Queen’s Speech could be met with a prorogation of one to two weeks’ duration.

‘Anything longer than this is both unnecessary and beyond the norm.’


Scott Lucas, a professor of international politics at the University of Birmingham, said the plan had kicked off the biggest crisis since the abdication of King Edward VIII to marry the divorced American socialite, Wallis Simpson.

He said: ‘This is biggest constitutional crisis since the 1930s.

‘Even World War II didn’t present a constitutional crisis because the coalition government and Parliament agreed the rules of the game.’

Jeremy Corbyn has written to the Queen about his concerns over Mr Johnson’s scheme (Picture: Getty)

The EU has refused to re-open negotiations with Mr Johnson, saying the Withdrawal Agreement worked out with his predecessor Theresa May is the only deal on the table.

It failed three times to get through Parliament, mainly because of the Irish backstop – a position of last resort designed to keep the border between Ireland and Northern Ireland open.

Mr Johnson has been given 30 days to come up with another solution.

EU leaders have been watching Wednesday’s developments closely with Guy Verhofstadt, the European Parliament’s chief Brexit official, saying the Prime Minister’s move was ‘sinister.’

He added: ‘As a fellow parliamentarian, my solidarity with those fighting for their voices to be heard.

‘Suppressing debate on profound choices is unlikely to help deliver a stable future EU-UK relationship.’

What can MPs do to stop a no-deal Brexit? Prime Minister Boris Johnson has made it clear that he intends for the UK to leave the EU on October 31 this year, come what may, ‘deal or no deal’. But what options do MPs have at their disposal to stop a no-deal? MPs will be returning to Parliament following the summer recess next Tuesday. They will have only a few weeks within which to meet and sit in Parliament in September and October, given that the annual autumn party conference season takes place in the autumn. That gives MPs who opposed a no-deal limited time within which to act, before the Brexit deadline of October 31. On Tuesday, cross party MPs signed a declaration saying they will continue to meet as an alternative House of Commons if Prime Minister Boris Johnson temporarily shuts down Parliament to get a no-deal (Picture: PA) Leaving with a deal The most obvious way to stop a no-deal would be for an agreement to be struck between the government and the EU. However, the Institute for Government (IfG) has said in its Voting on Brexit paper, that it is ‘very unlikely’ the UK will be able to leave the EU with a deal on October 31. The issue of the Irish backstop remains a major stumbling block, with little progress being made on the matter thus far. There is also the issue of a lack of time to implement any deal which could potentially be secured. Legislation to stop a no-deal MPs can vote against a no-deal, but that on its own would not require the Government to act, nor would it change the law. Even if MPs try to seize control of the order, as previously attempted, there would be limited chances of success. There are limited opportunities for backbenchers to seize control of the order, as previously attempted, even if this move was facilitated by Commons Speaker John Bercow. European Council president Donald Tusk said Boris would be known as ‘Mr No Deal’ if he fails to secure an agreement with the EU (Picture: AP) Holding a vote of no confidence Jeremy Corbyn has been very vocal about holding a vote of no confidence in the government when Parliament returns. However, a vote of no-confidence, even it were successful, is not enough to stop a no-deal. An emergency government of national unity, would have to be formed, yet MPs are divided over who should manage and lead the process, with some suggesting that the father of the house, Ken Clarke should lead it, while others have suggested the Labour mother of the house, Harriet Harman. Holding a general election It’s been hinted that Boris Johnson could call an early election, in order to secure a mandate for a no-deal Brexit. Yet there is little time to hold a general election before October 31. A second referendum Many of those supporting remain have suggested holding a second referendum, however support for such an option is unlikely, given that the option failed to secure a parliamentary majority during the indicative votes process earlier this year. Such a scenario could also only happen with Government support through legislation. Yet the Government’s position is clear: to pursue Brexit and leave the EU on October 31 following the referendum decision in 2016.