by William James and Kate Holton
LONDON (Reuters) – Boris Johnson has asked on Wednesday that the suspension of the work of the Westminster Parliament from a date between the 9 and 12 September and 14 October, only two weeks before the scheduled date of the Brexit. Queen Elizabeth had approved his request.
The british Prime minister may shorten the duration of the parliamentary session, which has sparked an uproar in the opposition and even in some circles of conservatives.
The opponents of the Prime minister denounce a desire to reduce the time for mps to debate the issue of Brexit and try to prevent “Brexit” without an agreement.
The information has lowered the pound and 0.6% against the euro and the dollar, the markets fearing the prospect of a “no deal”.
The queen will deliver on the 14th of October, the speech from the Throne, by which she presents the programme of the government and that marks the official opening of the parliamentary session.
Asked if there was an attempt to silence its opponents, Boris Johnson replied : “It is totally false.”
There will be “ample time” to discuss the Brexit of the two sides, said the Prime minister.
The leader of the opposition, labour’s Jeremy Corbyn, who has promised to do “everything possible” to prevent “Brexit” without agreement, has denounced “a scandal and a threat to our democracy”.
For him, Boris Johnson should explain to the Parliament on its decision to reduce the session.
According to the Guardian newspaper, the Labour leader has written to the queen Elizabeth for him to express his concerns and ask him for an interview.
CORBYN WANTS A MOTION OF CENSURE
“He (Boris Johnson) is accountable to the Parliament, not by putting under lock and key by the Parliament but by going to Parliament and answering questions,” said Jeremy Corbyn.
“When the Parliament met, very briefly, next week about his program, the first thing we will do will be to try to legislate to prevent what he is doing and, secondly, we shall challenge it by a motion of censure at a given time”, he added.
After the decision of Johnson, the president of the House of commons, the conservative John Bercow, spoke of”an affront to the Constitution”, while the spokesman of the labour opposition for home Affairs, the mp Diane Abbott, condemned a “coup against the Parliament.”
The Party unionist democratic party (DUP) in northern ireland, which supports the Prime minister, has, however, welcomed the decision of the Prime minister. Donald Trump has also expressed its total support to Boris Johnson.
The opposition parties announced Tuesday a cooperation agreement in order to prevent a “no deal”, after discussions between Jeremy Corbyn, the scottish national Party (SNP), liberal democrats, the Green Party and the independent Group for change.
Parliament is back in session is normally scheduled for 3 September. The Parliament was originally supposed to sit for two weeks before you stop to allow the political parties to hold their annual conference.
(Danielle Rouquié and Guy Kerivel for the French service)
