More than one million people sign petition opposing prorogation of Parliament
2 min read
More than one million people have signed a petition opposing Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament for nearly five weeks in the run-up to Brexit.
Pro-EU campaigner Mark Johnston set up the online petition on the Government's website shortly after the Prime Minister's controversial move was announced on Wednesday morning.
By Thursday morning, the number who had put their names to it had topped 1.1 million as people across the UK made clear their opposition to the plan.
In a further sign of the public anger over Parliament's prorogation, thousands of protesters took to the streets of Westminster on Wednesday evening to voice their anger.
Mr Johnston's petition says: "Parliament must not be prorogued or dissolved unless and until the Article 50 period has been sufficiently extended or the UK's intention to withdraw from the EU has been cancelled."
Under parliamentary rules, the Government must respond to any petition on its website which receives more than 10,000 signatures.
The Prime Minister sparked a furious backlash by asking the Queen to approve a five-week suspension of Parliament from the week after next.
She did so following a specially-convened meeting of the Privy Council at Balmoral.
When Parliament returns on 14 October - barely two weeks before the UK is due to leave the EU - she will deliver a Queen's Speech setting out the Government's legislative programme.
Mr Johnson has insisted that despite the shutdown, MPs will still have "ample" opportunity to debate Brexit, but it does reduce the time available for them to try to block a no-deal departure.
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