Boris Johnson's team 'considering suspending Parliament' to deliver Brexit on 31 October
2 min read
Boris Johnson could suspend Parliament in the two weeks running up to the 31 October to guarantee Brexit happens on that date, it has been claimed.
According to Sky News, the odds-on favourite to be the next Prime Minister plans to hold a Queen's Speech setting out his legislative plans at the start of November.
Parliament is usually prorogued - or closed down - for up to two weeks in the run-up to the set-piece occasion.
If he went ahead with the plan, it would guarantee that MPs would be unable to vote against a no-deal Brexit.
A source close to the Johnson campaign told the Press Association the team was "discussing everything as an option", but insisted he would prefer to reach a deal with Brussels and avoid a no-deal exit.
Mr Johnson has repeatedly refused to rule out proroguing Parliament and insisted that the UK must leave the EU on Hallowe'en "do or die".
Within minutes of Sky News revealing the plan, the value of the pound slumped to its lowest level against the US dollar for more than two years.
Guto Bebb, an anti-Brexit Tory MP who resigned as a minister over Brexit, told Sky: "It would be an absolute outrage because if you decided to do a Queen's Speech, you prorogue in mid-October so we didn't sit in those final two weeks in October, it would basically mean that a no-deal Brexit which has no democratic mandate, would be imposed upon the people of this country without this House sitting.
"I think that would be an outrage to our democratic traditions, and the worst part is they are seriously considering doing just that."
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