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‘He should resign’ - Norfolk MPs say Boris Johnson ‘not fit’ to lead after Supreme Court ruling

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing calls to resign after the Supreme Court ruling. Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire

Two Norfolk MPs have demanded prime minister Boris Johnson resign following the Supreme Court’s ruling that parliament’s prorogation was unlawful.

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Lady Hale has announced the Supreme Court's ruling on the legality of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament for five weeks. Picture: Supreme Court/PA Wire Lady Hale has announced the Supreme Court's ruling on the legality of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament for five weeks. Picture: Supreme Court/PA Wire

North Norfolk MP Sir Norman Lamb from the Liberal Democrats said Mr Johnson was "not fit" for the job and should stand down.

Lady Hale, president of the Supreme Court, announced this morning (September 24) that the court had unanimously found the Government had acted unlawfully in suspending parliament for five weeks in the lead up to the Brexit deadline of October 31.

Sir Norman said: "I don't think he is fit to be our prime minister and I think he should resign.

"I suspected that the actions of the prime minister were unlawful and we've had confirmation. This is the highest court in the land and it's a pretty serious conclusion that the prime minister has acted unlawfully.

North Norfolk MP Sir Norman Lamb has questioned the number of skilled jobs Egmere Business Zone would have created. Picture: Jamie Honeywood North Norfolk MP Sir Norman Lamb has questioned the number of skilled jobs Egmere Business Zone would have created. Picture: Jamie Honeywood

"We are, after all, a parliamentary democracy. Parliament is central to our system of government. People may be frustrated with parliament and its inability to resolve this Brexit stalemate, but closing down parliament is not acceptable."

Sir Norman has said that while he disagreed with Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson's plan to revoke Article 50 if their party gained power, Mr Johnson's actions were incompatible with the role of prime minister.

MORE: Supreme court rules suspension of Parliament was unlawful

He said: "I've expressed discomfort with the position my own party has taken but I think that the prime minister's actions of simply shutting down parliament, were intolerable.

"The central message of the Brexit campaign was to restore parliamentary sovereignty, and then they shut down parliament. You can't have that in a democracy."

Conservative South West Norfolk MP Sir Henry Bellingham is backing the PM. Picture: Supplied by Conservatives Conservative South West Norfolk MP Sir Henry Bellingham is backing the PM. Picture: Supplied by Conservatives

Clive Lewis, Labour MP for Norwich South, said the court had vindicated everything he had been said about Mr Johnson's actions ahead of prorougation and that it was "two weeks wasted" in the run-up to the October 31 Brexit deadline.

He said: "People like me who have said all along that it was undemocratic and just plain wrong have been vindicated by some of the greatest minds in the country.

"It is without a doubt time for Boris Johnson to resign.

"One think I feel we have seen increasingly lately, starting with Donald Trump, is that we appear to be in a time of the end of shame. There was a time when there was political honour."

"Boris Johnson now just does not have a leg to stand on - though I am sure he will try and find one. His behaviour has undermined the very principle of western democracy."

But North West Norfolk MP Sir Henry Bellingham, a fellow Conservative, said he did not think Mr Johnson should resign as prime minister.

"Of course he should stay but he should also obey the court," he said.

"We accept the judgement of the court whether we like it or not. It's now up to Parliament, up to the speaker to look at recalling.

MP for Norwich (South) Clive Lewis at the Fridays for Future climate protest on the steps of city hall in Norwich. Picture: Neil Didsbury MP for Norwich (South) Clive Lewis at the Fridays for Future climate protest on the steps of city hall in Norwich. Picture: Neil Didsbury

"We respect the decision of the court. This is a landmark case, future prime ministers will have to give very clear reasons for proroguing Parliament, it will be an important case future prime ministers will have to take account of."

In a tweet Richard Bacon, Conservative MP for South Norfok said: "It is hard to be sure of the quality of anything in the Supreme Court's judgement when the President of the Supreme Court cannot even get the name of the Government Chief Whip right."

Conservative MP for Waveney Peter Aldous said the decision and speculation over the Prime Minister's future will make it harder to deliver Brexit by October 31.

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He said: "If you're wondering whether he should resign then the answer is no. I think we are in the middle of a consitutional crisis and that gets even worse if he resigns.

"I think the Prime Minister's goal, which is to leave the European Union with a deal by October 31, is by far the best outcome and this makes it even more difficult to deliver."

Keith Simpson, Conservative MP for Broadland, said the judgement was damning and "set a new precedent to our unwritten constitution".

He added: "I think Boris is in deep trouble."

Additional reporting by Chris Bishop.