LONDON — Britain’s prime minister, Boris Johnson, faced a growing and angry backlash on Thursday as his decision to suspend Parliament next month prompted protests and legal challenges, and political opponents scrambled to salvage efforts to stop a disorderly Brexit.
The normally fractious opposition swiftly united in outrage at Mr. Johnson’s maneuver on Wednesday, which brought protesters onto the streets in London and other cities across the country, while an online petition against the action drew well over a million signatures.
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The move also strained relations within Mr. Johnson’s Conservative Party and prompted claims from critics that the government was trampling the conventions of the country’s unwritten constitution, undermining its democracy.
The party leader in Scotland, Ruth Davidson, resigned on Thursday, though she did not explicitly refer to the suspension or a no-deal Brexit in her resignation letter.
Lord Young of Cookham, a former cabinet minister, resigned as a Conservative Party whip in the House of Lords on Thursday, saying in a letter that Mr. Johnson’s action “risks undermining the fundamental role of Parliament at a critical time in our history, and reinforces the view that the Government may not have the confidence of the House for its Brexit policy.”
On Wednesday Mr. Johnson had Queen Elizabeth II approve a plan to restrict the sittings of Parliament in September and October, reducing its prospects of legislating to prevent Britain from leaving the European Union without first reaching an agreement in Brussels.
Numerous reports by bodies including the Bank of England and the International Monetary Fund have said a “no deal” Brexit would be chaotic and would seriously damage Britain’s economy. Leaks from the government itself have warned of the possibility of jammed ports and shortages of some medicines and fuel.
A majority of lawmakers are on record as opposing such an outcome. But Mr. Johnson, who became prime minister last month, has promised to leave the European Union on the scheduled date, Oct. 31, preferably with an agreement but without one if necessary.
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In an overnight poll, far more Britons opposed than supported his suspension of Parliament, and angry comments calling it undemocratic peppered social media, many with the hashtag #StopTheCoup.
[Boris Johnson’s suspension of Parliament drew intense reactions on social media.]
The Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, and a senior Conservative lawmaker, Philip Hammond, each called it a “constitutional outrage;” Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party, labeled it a “a sort of smash and grab on our democracy.”
But Jacob Rees-Mogg, a hard-line Brexit supporter and the Conservative leader of the House of Commons, on Thursday defended the government’s decision, arguing that there would still be adequate time to debate Brexit. The real threat to Britain’s unwritten constitution, he wrote in The Daily Telegraph, came from those who opposed Brexit and who want to overturn the 2016 referendum decision to leave the bloc.
“The candyfloss of outrage that we’ve had over the past 24 hours — which is almost entirely confected — is from people who never wanted to leave the European Union,” Mr. Rees-Mogg said in an interview with BBC radio.
The suspension procedure was normal, he argued, because Mr. Johnson wanted to start a new session of Parliament.
While that is technically correct, the timing of the decision, the length of the suspension and its practical impact make the move look like a politically motivated tactic to stifle opposition in Parliament — an institution that Brexit was supposed to strengthen.
Mr. Johnson’s stance also suggests that he is preparing for a general election campaign, in which he could present himself as the champion of the people against a Parliament intent on thwarting the 2016 Brexit referendum.
Lawmakers are scheduled to return from a summer vacation next week but Mr. Johnson’s move means that Parliament will be suspended some time the following week, heading off any attempt by his opponents to tack on a few more days by shortening a scheduled break for annual political party conferences.
His new timetable has Parliament resuming work on Oct. 14, after the party conferences and several days later than previously expected.
In addition, he has scheduled an address to Parliament on that date by the queen, laying out his government’s agenda, which lawmakers must then address.
In effect, he has cut short the already dwindling time for Parliamentary action before Oct. 31, and has packed it with other business.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/29/world/europe/boris-johnson-brexit-parliament-backlash.html
2019-08-29 09:15:00Z
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