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A8 WORLD NEWS
Thursday 29 augusT 2019
UK's Johnson moves to suspend Parliament ahead of Brexit

By DANICA KIRKA could go to war," Labour
Associated Press spokeswoman on legal is-
LONDON (AP) — British sues Shami Chakrabarti
Prime Minister Boris John- told the BBC. "People will
son maneuvered Wednes- work together to stop this
day to give his political op- unconstitutional suspension
ponents even less time to of Parliament and we will
block a chaotic no-deal get greater unity on that
Brexit before the Oct. 31 even than on stopping a
withdrawal deadline, win- no-deal Brexit."
ning Queen Elizabeth II's On Tuesday, opposition
approval to suspend Parlia- lawmakers declared that
ment. His critics were out- they would join forces to try
raged. to stop a departure from
Though Johnson previous- the EU without an agree-
ly had refused to rule out ment, setting up a legisla-
such a move, the timing of tive challenge to Johnson
the decision took lawmak- and his past promises to
ers — many of whom are complete the divorce deal.
on vacation — by surprise. Some 160 lawmakers
Johnson insisted he was have signed a declaration
taking the step so he could pledging "to do whatever
outline his domestic agen- is necessary" to prevent
da, and he shot down the Johnson from bypassing
notion that he was curbing Parliament.
debate, saying there would Johnson has told European
be "ample time" to discuss Anti-Brexit supporters wave flags and hold signs at College Green near the Houses of Parliament officials it won't be possible
Brexit and other issues. in central London, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2019. to agree a deal on Britain's
Lawmakers reacted with Associated Press departure from the bloc
fury, including John Ber- without the removal of con-
cow, speaker of the lower to ask the queen to give The pound plunged on the guaranteeing that it will be troversial language on a
House of Commons, who her speech that outlines the news, down to $1.2196 from considered for debate. "backstop" aimed at avoid-
was not told in advance of government's legislative almost $1.2300 the previous Lawmakers already are ask- ing the return of a border
Johnson's plan. agenda on Oct. 14, and day. ing a Scottish court to rule between EU member Ire-
"Shutting down Parlia- she approved suspending The EU is adamant it will not that suspending Parliament land and Britain's Northern
ment would be an offense Parliament for a total of renegotiate the agreement is illegal. If that fails, pro-EU Ireland. He said at the close
against the democratic 32 days between Sept. 12 struck with former Prime legislators are also planning of the G-7 summit in Biarritz,
process and the rights of and Oct. 14. That makes Minister Theresa May on the to try to pass a law banning France, on Monday that he
parliamentarians as the it unlikely the lawmakers terms of Britain's departure a no-deal Brexit, although was "marginally more opti-
people's elected repre- would have enough time and the framework of fu- the government has now mistic," of progress.
sentatives," Bercow said. to pass laws blocking the ture relations. Without such sharply limited their time to Scott Lucas, a professor of
"Surely at this early stage in U.K.'s withdrawal from the a deal, Britain faces a cha- do that. international politics at the
his premiership, the prime European Union without a otic Brexit that economists Another option is to bring University of Birmingham,
minister should be seek- negotiated divorce deal warn would disrupt trade down the government with said Johnson's maneuver
ing to establish rather than by Oct. 31. by imposing tariffs and a no-confidence vote. That touched off the biggest cri-
undermine his democratic "This is completely normal customs checks between would spark a 14-day peri- sis since the abdication of
credentials and indeed his procedure," House of Com- Britain and the bloc, send od in which Johnson could King Edward VIII to marry
commitment to Parliamen- mons leader Jacob Rees- the value of the pound try to overturn the result. If the divorced American so-
tary democracy." Mogg told Sky News. plummeting and plunge he failed, there would be cialite, Wallis Simpson.
The main opposition La- But shadow chancellor the U.K. into recession. May a general election — but "This is biggest constitu-
bour Party leader Jeremy John McDonnell tweeted: resigned in defeat after fail- the government believes it tional crisis since the 1930s,"
Corbyn wrote to the queen "Make no mistake, this is a ing — three times — to se- would not have to be held Lucas said. "Even World
to protest "in the strongest very British coup." cure Parliament's backing until after the Oct. 31 Brexit War II didn't present a con-
possible terms on behalf of "Whatever one's views on for her divorce deal with deadline. stitutional crisis because
my party and I believe all Brexit, once you allow a the bloc. During that key 14 days af- the coalition government
the other opposition par- Prime Minister to prevent Hundreds of people ter a no-confidence vote, and Parliament agreed the
ties are going to join in with the full and free operation packed College Green another lawmaker could try rules of the game."
this." of our democratic institu- outside Parliament, waving to win Parliament's back- It's also a potential eco-
The monarch, however, tions you are on a very pre- EU flags and placards to ing in a vote. If they suc- nomic crisis because of the
kept with her steadfast re- carious path," he said. express their anger, while ceeded, Johnson should, in projected drop in GDP, he
fusal to get involved in poli- Guy Verhofstadt, the Eu- 25 bishops from the Church theory, have to step down added.
tics. ropean Parliament's chief of England released an and let the winner form a Johnson did earn support
The House of Commons will Brexit official, called John- open letter about their wor- government. from one big backer: U.S.
convene from Sept. 3-10 son's move "sinister." ries about the "economic But these rules were intro- President Donald Trump.
and then was scheduled "As a fellow parliamentar- shocks" of a no-deal Brexit duced in a 2011 law and Just days after the two met
to go on a break until Oct. ian, my solidarity with those on the poor and other vul- have never been tested, at the G-7 summit, Trump
9 — though lawmakers had fighting for their voices to nerable people. leaving plenty of room for reaffirmed his support by
suggested they might can- be heard," he tweeted. A petition on a govern- argument. tweeting that the prime
cel that break and stay "Suppressing debate on ment website demanding "If Parliament is suspended minister "is exactly what the
in session because of the profound choices is unlikely that Parliament not be sus- to suit Boris Johnson, it's not U.K. has been looking for,
Brexit crisis. to help deliver a stable fu- pended has gotten more just going to be suspended & will prove to be 'a great
Johnson said he decided ture EU-UK relationship." than 100,000 signatures — from discussing Brexit. We one!' "q