More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
The news that the government is set to suspend Parliament has, inevitably, fuelled speculation that we could be heading for an early election.
The main suspicion, however, is that what is known as prorogation is all about the government seeking to block any attempts by opposition MPs to pass legislation blocking a ‘no-deal’ Brexit.
Predictably, there has been plenty of indignant MPs condemning the government for a sneaky manoeuvre designed to ensure it can deliver on its commitment to exit the EU by the October 31 deadline.
Others have pointed out that if the government really wanted to put a stop to any attempt to veto the ‘no deal’ plan, it might as well have suspended Parliament until the end of October.
The Prime Minister, not for the first time, emphatically rejected that he was planning a general election, saying “we must get on now with our legislative domestic agenda.”
The period of suspension does overlap with the traditional party conference season, meaning the actual days lost for debate in Parliament are modest.
The government’s political route map towards Brexit will increase the pressure on the opposition parties to agree a way to veto a no-deal option.
They may be buoyed by the reaction of Speaker John Brecow, who has left no room for any misunderstanding about where he stands.
“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," he said.
Either way, we are heading for even choppier political waters in the coming weeks. Whether Boris Johnson stays afloat remains to be seen.
