Speaker Bercow Reopens Parliament, Johnson to Address MPs After Supreme Court Ruling

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrives at 10 Downing Street in central London on S
ISABEL INFANTES/AFP/Getty Images
Breitbart London

Boris Johnson is to address the House of Commons today after the Supreme Court ruled that the prorogation of parliament was unlawful.

Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow reopened the Commons at 11:30 on Wednesday morning, telling MPs that the official record will be changed so the reference to parliament being prorogued will be “expunged”, with it being recorded instead that it had been adjourned until today.

The first urgent question was from Joanna Cherry of the pro-EU, leftist Scottish Nationalist Party, who brought one of two cases to the Supreme Court to force parliament to reopen. Cherry asked for the government’s Attorney General Geoffrey Cox to give a statement on his legal opinion on his advice to ask the Queen to prorogue parliament.

Documents leaked to Sky News show Mr Cox had advised prorogation was “lawful and within the constitution” and that should anyone dispute it, they were doing so for “political consideration”.

Mr Cox responded to Ms Cherry, saying that while “we were disappointed that in the end the Supreme Court took a different view”, the government would respect the ruling.

“At all times the government acted in good faith and in the belief that its approach was both lawful and constitutional,” he said.

Michael Gove, the minister in charge of Brexit planning, is set to make a statement at around 2pm on no deal preparations and Operation Yellowhammer, the no deal Brexit planning document.

Prime Minister Johnson will be making a statement on the Supreme Court judgement at 4pm, with leader of the House Jacob Rees-Mogg making a business statement setting out the order of business for the rest of the week at 5pm.

This is the Breitbart London liveblog. Follow key updates below:

1:20pm — Cox tells Tory-turned-Lib-Dem he should be “on his knees” asking forgiveness of his constituents “for his betrayal”

Phillip Lee, the former Conservative MP who defected to the pro-EU Liberal Democrats, told Mr Cox that he should be showing more humility, after Remainers had tried to pressure the attorney general to apologise for telling the government that prorogation was lawful and constitutional.

Incredulous at the being told to be more humble by an MP who was elected for the Tories and now sits as a Lib Dem without holding a by-election, Mr Cox said: “Words fail me, Mr Speaker, the Right Honourable Gentleman arises in the full force of his morality having been elected for one party and sitting there for another!”

“He has the nerve to arise and said that I should have affected greater humility! I think he should be on his knees to his own constituents, begging for their forgiveness for his betrayal!” he added

1:00pm — Remainer Rudd Accuses Attorney General of using “language of pitting Parliament against the people”

Former Tory Amber Rudd, who quit the Cabinet and party over Mr Johnson’s Brexit stance, attacked Attorney General Geoffrey Cox for “constantly saying that this Parliament is dead”.

She added:”Can I urge the Attorney General to work with colleagues and find that compromise and to cease this language of pitting Parliament against the people?”

The attorney general responded that if he had not “been driven to this language I wouldn’t have used it”.

12:30pm — Attorney General Geoffrey Cox: Parliament is “dead” and “has no moral right to sit”

The attorney general hit out at the opposition for twice blocking government calls for a snap general election, saying: “This parliament is a dead parliament. It should no longer sit. It has no moral right to sit on these green benches.”

“This parliament is a disgrace,” he continued. “Given the opportunity, given since I am asked, let me tell them the truth, they could vote no confidence at any time, but they are too cowardly!”

“They could agree to a motion to allow this House to dissolve, but they are too cowardly!” he continued.

“This parliament should have the courage to face the electorate. But it won’t because so many of them are about preventing us leaving the European Union. But the time is coming when even these turkeys won’t be able to prevent Christmas,” he added.

12:20pm — Attorney General Geoffrey Cox refuses to rule out Tories suspending parliament again.

Remain-backing MP Sir Oliver Letwin, the former Conservative Cabinet minister who lost the party whip after voting against the government, asked Mr Cox if there would be another suspension of parliament “that save a few days before a Queen’s Speech” before the end of October.

The attorney general said there will be no prorogation which does not comply with the Supreme Court judgment, but did not rule out another suspension of parliament.

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