Section:GDN 1N PaGe:4 Edition Date:190829 Edition:01 Zone: Sent at 28/8/2019 21:00 cYanmaGentaYellowbl
- The Guardian Thursday 29 Aug ust 2019
(^4) National
Politics
appalled by the announcement. “The
government’s decision is a constitu-
tional outrage,” he said. “A government
which is frightened of parliament is
frightened of democracy. I hope that
every member of parliament, in feeling
this humiliation, will use every legal
and constitutional weapon to obstruct
a government proposing to force on
the British people a historic change
for which they have long since lost
any mandate.”
The former Conservative MP Nick
Boles, who now sits as an independ-
ent, tweeted that the news should
“stiff en backbones and concentrate
minds” to get legislation against a no
deal passed. If MPs “don’t support leg-
islative steps next week, there will be
no second chance”, he said.
The Scottish fi rst minister, Nicola
Sturgeon, said it was “a dark day for
democracy”. She said to Johnson:
“Call an election now – with polling
day before 31 Oct ober – and let the
people vote. Or are you frit?”.
Senior Labour MPs, including the
shadow equalities minister, Dawn But-
ler, and the shadow Treasury minister,
Clive Lewis, suggested they might
refuse to vacate parliament once it
was suspended.
“If Boris Johnson thinks he can sus-
pend parliament and force through
no deal he has another think com-
ing,” Lewis said. “We will build a
mass movement to save democracy,
and everyone who wants to stop this
travesty must get ready to mobilise,
demonstrate and resist. MPs, too, will
have to play their part. They’ll have to
drag me out of the chamber.”
‘A n a ff ront to democracy’: MPs
on all sides denounce Johnson
Jessica Elgot
Chief political correspondent
MPs denounced Boris Johnson’s deci-
sion to prorogue parliament as reckless
and unconstitutional yesterday, with
senior fi gures calling for radical action
including protests, a general strike and
civil service disobedience.
Politicians proposed a number of
increasingly drastic ideas to take on
Johnson. Lord Kerslake, former head
of the civil service, said civil servants
needed to examine their conscience
as to whether they could support the
government’s actions.
“We are reaching the point where
the civil service must consider putting
its stewardship of the country ahead of
service to the government of the day,”
he told the Guardian.
Jeremy Corbyn, the opposition
leader, and the Liberal Democrats’
leader, Jo Swinson, demanded the
Queen intervene, suggesting the prime
minister had put the monarch in an
unforgivable position by setting her at
odds with the majority in parliament.
Corbyn said there was “a danger
that the royal prerogative is being
set directly against the wishes of a
majority of the House of Commons”.
The Labour leader said Johnson’s
request would “deprive the electorate
of the opportunity to have their rep-
resentatives hold the government to
account, make any key decisions and
ensure that there is a lawful basis for
action taken”.
Swinson said she had requested a
meeting with the Queen. “This is a
crucial time in our country’s history,
and yet our prime minister is arro-
gantly attempting to force through
a no-deal Brexit against the demo-
cratic will. He is outrageously stifl ing
the voices of both the people and their
representatives,” she said.
“It is appalling that the prime
minister has forced opposition leaders
into taking this action. However, we
must take all measures necessary to
avoid a disastrous no-deal Brexit, for
which there is no mandate.”
However , as Corbyn was fi ring off
his missive to the palace, the sign-
off for prorogation had already been
completed at Balmoral, as requested
by the three privy counsellors desig-
nated by Johnson: Jacob Rees-Mogg,
Mark Spencer and Lady Evans.
is unpopular in parliament and in the
country. At a crucial moment he fi nds
a way to evade parliamentary scrutiny
for several weeks,” he tweeted.
Rory Stewart, the former interna-
tional development secretary who has
previously suggested he would set up
an alternative parliament should the
Commons be suspended, said: “The
best and indeed only solution to
Brexit remains a compromise. Parlia-
ment should not be suspended. I will
vote against a no-deal Brexit because
it would be damaging, divisive and
unnecessary. We can do much better.”
Other Conservative backbenchers
who have suggested they could
back attempts to stop no deal voiced
unease. Simon Hoare said the move
was “an executive seeking to abuse
one of its (perfectly proper) powers”.
Antoinette Sandbach, who has
previously rebelled on Brexit legisla-
tion, said she had been inundated with
letters from angry constituents. “The
proposal is an aff ront to democratic
accountability at a time when the new
PM should be happy to be scrutinised
by elected MP,” she said.
Lord Heseltine, the former Tory
deputy prime minister , said he was
▼ The privy counsellors Lady Evans
and Jacob Rees-Mogg at Aberdeen
airport after meeting the Queen
PHOTOGRAPH: ROSS JOHNSTON/NEWSLINE
Changing their tune
What cabinet members said about
proroguing parliament during the
Tory leadership campaign:
Sajid Javid “You don’t deliver
democracy by trashing democracy.
We aren’t selecting a dictator.”
(16 June 2019)
Michael Gove “I will defend
democracy. You can’t take Britain
out of the EU against will of
parliament.” (16 June 2019)
Matt Hancock “A policy on Brexit
to prorogue parliament would
mean the end of the Conservative
party as a serious party of
government.” (6 June 2019)
Condemnation came from all
political quarters, including the Con-
servative party. The former justice
secretary David Gauke said it was a
dangerous precedent and suggested
Conservative MPs should look at the
wider perspective.
“Put to one side your views of a
no-deal Brexit. Imagine that Jeremy
Corbyn is PM, pursuing a policy that
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