Queen Elizabeth II To Suspend Parliament Amid Brexit Crisis

Ben Whedon on August 28, 2019

Queen Elizabeth II will prorogue Parliament at the request of Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

“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,” a Wednesday Privy Council statement said.

The move comes amid concerns in Parliament over the United Kingdom leaving the European Union without a deal, set to occur Oct. 31.

Johnson requested suspension of the parliamentary session for five weeks, until Oct. 14, the longest such suspension since 1945, according to the Guardian.

Opponents of Brexit have denounced the move as a ploy to thwart debate against a so-called “no-deal Brexit,” in which the U.K. would leave the EU and trade under rules the World Trade Organization established. With only two weeks between Parliament’s return and the deadline for the U.K.’s departure from the bloc, pro-remain leaders fear they will not be able to stop such a scenario.

Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow called the move a “constitutional outrage,” HuffPost reported.

Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the U.K.’s opposition Labour Party has reportedly asked to meet with the queen to address the issue, the Mirror reported. Corbyn dubbed the move a “smash-and-grab on our democracy.”

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