Move FM Global News

LONDON, UK – Opposition parties in the UK have been caught off-guard as Prime Minister Boris Johnson has successfully forced a suspension of parliament, and an almost certain exit for Britain from the European Union by 31 October – with or without a deal with the EU.

Opposition parties had been coming together in a bid to force Johnson to seek a delay to the 31 October exit deadline.

Instead parliament will now be suspended until 14 October, which gives them no time to organise any counter-action.

Johnson had to apply to the Queen for approval to suspend parliament, however this was seen more as a formality.

The UK has been rocked by the proceedings, which have received the endorsement of U.S. President Donald Trump, a close confidant of the prime minister.

Parliament will now resume on 14 October with the formal Queen’s Speech. The suspension of the House of Commons will last roughly a month from mid-September.

There are risks for Johnson in that the move could backfire. The parliament could pass a no-confidence vote and possibly force an election.

A number of opposition party leaders are believed to have written to the Queen to express their disapproval. It is unlikely however that she would get directly involved in the workings of government, or the developing political dispute.

The Queen in a traditional sense acts on the advice of the prime minister.

“There will be ample time in parliament for MPs to debate the EU, to debate Brexit and all the other issues, ample time,” Johnson said Wednesday.

Asked directly if his move was an attempt to block opposition parties from forcing a delay to Brexit, he said: “That is completely untrue.”

The opposition was having none of that.

“Make no mistake, this is a very British coup,” John McDonnell, the Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Party, said Wednesday.

The public has also weighed in with protesters arriving at the banks of the River Thames to wave flags and express their outrage.

An online petition to protest the suspension has already attracted more than 500,000 signatures.