Prorogue parliament when

A Scottish judge has temporarily rejected calls to block Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend parliament, in a blow to anti-Brexit campaigners. Lord Doherty said he would not rule definitively that the prime minister had the powers to ask the Queen to prorogue parliament until a full hearing of the case, which he brought forward to Tuesday next week. He rejected an application from lawyers acting for 75 anti-Brexit MPs and peers for an emergency interdict, or injunction, requiring Johnson to suspend the prorogation. In a surprise development, Aidan O’Neill QC, the lawyer acting for the MPs and peers, called in court for Johnson to provide a sworn affidavit under oath setting out why he needed to prorogue parliament. O’Neill also said he reserved the right to call Johnson to give evidence in court at a later date. Joanna Cherry QC, the Scottish National party MP who is leading the legal challenge, urged the prime minister to provide a statement. “Tell the court … [Read more...] about Scottish judge refuses to block Johnson proroguing parliament

Ruth Davidson to resign as Scottish Tory leader Queen's Speech will be held on Oct 14 Campaigners have launched a legal challenge Bercow, Hammond and Grieve express alarm over surprise move Comment: Johnson is giving Remainers a taste of their own medicine Analysis: Why proroguing is a clever move by Johnson Sign up: Brexit Whatsapp updates and the Brexit Bulletin Philip Hammond has said that MPs will move against the Government to stop no deal next week, and cannot wait until the scheduled debate on Brexit in late September. Under the timetable set out by Boris Johnson, Parliament will not debate Brexit or the upcoming Queen's speech until October 21 and 22. Mr Hammond said he had... … [Read more...] about Brexit latest news: Hammond says MPs will move against no deal next week after Johnson prorogues Parliament

One power remaining to Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, who has suffered brutal defeats in Parliament and in the courts in recent weeks, is to make Donald Trump laugh. The two men were sitting next to each other at an appearance on Tuesday in New York, where the U.N.’s General Assembly is meeting, and reporters were asking both of them about the biggest blow to Johnson yet: a ruling earlier that day by the U.K. Supreme Court that his advice to the Queen (which she follows as a matter of course) to approve a five-week prorogation, or suspension, of Parliament had been “unlawful.” Johnson began, “We’re full of respect, as I say, for the justices of our Supreme Court.” Before he got that sentence out, Trump broke into a broad grin and practically guffawed. He pointed his thumb at Johnson, in a fond, look-at-this-guy gesture. The idea that the fullness of Johnson included respect for the justices seemed to strike the President as … [Read more...] about Donald Trump and Boris Johnson: A Tale of Two Crises

The protest that took place last Wednesday evening, on the day the prime minister prorogued parliament, was part-organised by Another Europe is Possible. I was on the conference-call planning it, and we argued about whether or not “coup” was the right word, whether to start at 5pm or 6pm, whether to protest daily or concentrate on the Saturday. We talked about demo-fatigue and sound systems, the far right – who, inexplicably, were marched by police straight through the #StopTheCoup march at the weekend – but nobody argued about whether or not we should be protesting. The debate on our current crisis has concentrated on proroguing, but it is no more than the instrument of what has occurred: the executive has moved against the parliament. Not tricked it, outwitted it, bullied it, or won it round – moved explicitly against it. You cannot find precedent for this in the debates surrounding the Falklands war, or the national government of 1931; you’re … [Read more...] about Boris Johnson may relish the street protests, but here’s why they must go on

Dozens of protests against the suspension of parliament are scheduled in the coming days, after tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets on Saturday. Events have been planned in more than 30 cities and towns across England and Wales after the prime minister, Boris Johnson, last week announced his decision to prorogue parliament ahead of the UK’s EU departure. On Sunday afternoon, events are expected to take place in 10 locations, including in Newcastle, Bath and Lincoln. In Reading, constituents are expected to join a Labour councillor in asking Alok Sharma, the international development secretary and MP for Reading West, to oppose the decision. Rallies are expected on Monday in Manchester, Milton Keynes and Taunton, among other sites. At lunchtime, protesters will also gather outside the British embassy in Copenhagen, Denmark, to oppose prorogation and Brexit. On Sunday morning a protest was held in Nice, one of several taking place across France. “Stop the … [Read more...] about Fresh anti-prorogation protests planned in 30 cities and towns