Yet another plot twist.
When last you checked with our Brexit heroes, they had suspended parliament for all of five weeks, starting from Monday evening, 9 September.
A little over 24 hours later, Scotland’s appeals court has now declared that Boris Johnson’s decision to prorogue parliament was unlawful, as it was designed to stymy parliamentary debate and action on Brexit.
The decision to prorogue parliament — that is, suspend it until a Queen’s speech in mid-October — was challenged in court by 75 opposition MPs and peers. Those challenging the decision claimed that the suspension of parliament at such a crucial time effectively hamstrung legislators with regards to finding a way of avoiding a no-deal Brexit on 31 October.
The prorogation also prompted much public outcry, as well as a #StopTheCoup social media campaign.
According to barrister Jo Maugham QC, whose Good Law Project funded the legal challenge: “We believe that the effect of the decision is that Parliament is no longer prorogued.”
This decision will now be appealed by the government, and will be finally decided by the Supreme Court next Tuesday.
— Jo Maugham (@JolyonMaugham) September 11, 2019
Keir Starmer, shadow Brexit secretary for Labour, called on Johnson to recall parliament immediately: “I urge the prime minister to immediately recall parliament so we can debate this judgement and decide what happens next.”
Jo Swinson, leader of the Liberal Democrats party, tweeted to say: “Scottish judges have found in favour of 75 MPs (including me and other Liberal Democrats). We argued that Boris Johnson’s parliament shutdown is illegal, and designed to stifle parliamentary debate and action on Brexit.”
As things stand, the UK remains set to leave the European Union without a deal on 31 October.
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