British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has prorogued Parliament for five weeks (till October 14).
It is seen as an attempt to silence elected representatives on the key issue of Britain’s future ties with the European Union (EU).
It will limit parliament’s ability to derail his Brexit plan by cutting the amount of time it will sit before EU exit day on October 31.
What is prorogation?
Prorogation is to bring a parliamentary session to end by the monarch on the advice of the government.
Usually, Parliament is prorogued every year. But last year, then PM Theresa May didn’t recommend prorogation due to Brexit debates.
This year, Queen Elizabeth II approved the Johnson government’s request, which he says that prorogation was long overdue.
What does it mean for Brexit?
It has effectively curtailed lawmakers’ opportunities to reject his Brexit plans.
This would have been a crucial time for rebel MPs to come up with legislation against a no-deal Brexit, which Mr Johnson has not ruled out.
There’s an EU summit on October 17 and 18 in which Mr Johnson could seek a fresh Brexit deal.
After the summit, if he has a new deal, he will present that to the lawmakers, which means the MPs will get only 9 working days to either pass or reject the deal.
It is not sure whether PM Johnson will even have a Brexit deal that’s different from Ms. May’s deal.
Thus, the threat of no-deal will be hanging over lawmakers.
What is the current status of Brexit?
When PM Theresa May proposed deal that provides 21-month transition period for Brexit, MPs rejected her deal thrice.
They failed to come up with an alternative plan either.
The deadline for Brexit was extended to 31 October.
The only thing they agreed regarding Brexit was to oppose a no-deal Brexit.
In a no-deal scenario, the UK would immediately leave the EU with no agreement about the transition process.
Now, to avoid a no-deal Brexit on 31st October, the UK government must pass a Brexit divorce plan into law, obtain another extension from the EU, or cancel Brexit.
What has happened after Prorogation?
Legal bids to halt the suspension of Parliament was filed in Scotland and London.
Scotland and London judges rejected the request for a temporary injunction.
The appeal of the rulings will go directly to the U.K Supreme Court.
