The government has come under fire over its proposal to suspend Parliament for several weeks, with critics claiming that the Prime Minister is trying to see off an attempt to block those trying to stop a no-deal Brexit.

Boris Johnson said the decision was not about triggering an election and neither was it associated with halting the cross-party efforts to prevent a no-deal departure from the EU.

Kent reacts to the news parliament will be suspended

The news prompted a mixed reaction among Kent politicians.

North Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale, who admitted he was not a supporter of the PM, tweeted:

He said he accepted the timetable was "certainly tight" but believed it "should allow time for the necessary procedures prior to a final determination of the terms upon which we leave the European Union."

But the news drew a caustic response from the Kent Liberal Democrat MEP and Faversham county councillor Antony Hook, who tweeted:

And fellow South East Labour MEP John Howarth went so far as to accuse the Prime Minister of a "constitutional crime worthy of Putin."

"It's anti-democratic and contemptuous of the Parliamentary sovereignty that Brexit was supposed to support. It adds up to a constitutional coup. All to secure a damaging no deal Brexit that was never on any ballot paper.

"It is absurd to be told this is a routine decision by a Government - it is treating both people and Parliament with contempt.

"It is clearly about preventing Parliament acting against a no deal Brexit and everybody knows it."

Explaining the move, Mr Johnson said he did not want to wait until after Brexit "before getting on with our plans to take this country forward" and insisted there would still be "ample time" for MPs to debate the UK's departure.

"We need new legislation. We've got to be bringing forward new and important bills and that's why we are going to have a Queen's Speech."

John Bercow, the Speaker of the Commons, was highly critical: "However it is dressed up, it is blindingly obvious that the purpose of prorogation now would be to stop Parliament debating Brexit and performing its duty in shaping a course for the country."

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