WORLD
British PM to restrict parliament time before Brexit
Baku, August 28, AZERTAC
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved to limit parliament’s opportunity to derail Brexit by cutting the amount of time it sits between now and EU exit day on Oct. 31, infuriating opponents who accused him of leading a “very British coup”, according to Reuters.
In his boldest move yet to take the country out of the European Union with or without a divorce deal, Johnson said he would set Oct. 14 for the Queen’s Speech - the formal state opening of a new session of parliament that is proceeded by a suspension of the House of Commons.
That would effectively shut parliament from mid-September for around a month. Raising the stakes in the constitutional crisis gripping Britain, it could also force Johnson’s opponents to up their own game by calling a no-confidence vote in the government, potentially leading to an election.
The news sent the pound down sharply.
Asked in a broadcast interview if he was trying to block politicians from delaying Britain’s departure from the EU, Johnson replied: “That is completely untrue.
“There will be ample time on both sides of that crucial October 17 (European Union leaders’) summit, ample time in parliament for MPs (Members of Parliament) to debate the EU, to debate Brexit and all the other issues, ample time.”
More than three years after the United Kingdom voted 52% to 48% to quit the European Union, it is still unclear on what terms - or indeed whether - the bloc’s second largest economy will leave the club it joined in 1973.