Queen Elizabeth approves British parliament suspension

LONDON-Reuters

Britain's Queen Elizabeth has approved Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan to suspend parliament, a statement from the official body of advisers to the Queen, known as the Privy Council, said on Aug. 28.

The statement confirmed that parliament would be suspended on a day between Sept. 9 and Sept. 12, until Oct. 14.

"It is this day ordered by Her Majesty in Council that the Parliament be prorogued on a day no earlier than Monday the 9th day of September and no later than Thursday the 12th day of September 2019 to Monday the 14th day of October 2019," the statement said.

Johnson is due to attend one last European Union summit three days later.

"There will be ample time on both sides of that crucial October 17 summit, ample time in parliament for MPs to debate," Johnson said.

A source in Johnson's Downing Street office insisted that only around four sitting days in the lower House of Commons would be lost as a result.

Parliament returns from its summer break on September 3.

By convention, it is suspended for the annual conferences of the three main parties.

The first, that of the anti-Brexit Liberal Democrats, starts on September 14.

The final one, that of Johnson's governing Conservatives, ends on October 2.

Johnson wanted parliament to return 12 days later on October 14.

Last year's party conference recess was from September 13 to October 9, six days after the end of the party conferences.

The 2017 break was from September 14 to October 9, five days after the last conference concluded.

The move enraged opposition MPs involved in trying to stop Brexit.

Tom Watson, deputy leader of the main opposition Labour Party, said: "This action is an utterly scandalous affront to our democracy. We cannot let this happen."

Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesman Tom Brake tweeted: "The mother of all parliaments will not allow him to shut the people's parliament out of the biggest decision facing our country. His declaration of war will be met with an iron fist."

The Green MP Caroline Lucas called it a "constitutional outrage".

Sarah Wollaston said Johnson was "behaving like a tin pot dictator", while fellow former Conservative MP Anna Soubry said British democracy was "under threat from a ruthless PM".

Johnson insists Britain must leave the EU on the October 31 deadline -- already twice-delayed -- with or without a divorce deal from Brussels.