MPs accuse Johnson of ‘attempted coup’ by requesting parliament suspension before Brexit

Opposition MPs and Tory politicians alike are incensed at the announcement that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has asked Britain’s queen to suspend parliament, with some calling it an attempted coup.

Following widespread rumors this week that Johnson would seek to suspend parliament, essentially reducing the time for MPs to hold more debates or potentially push for a further Brexit extension, Wednesday morning’s announcement has infuriated the political class across the UK.

UK Parliament Speaker of the House John Bercow pulled no punches in his assessment of the current state of affairs, calling the move “a constitutional outrage.” 

“However it is dressed up, it is blindingly obvious that the purpose of prorogation now would be to stop parliament debating Brexit and performing its duty,” he said. 

Conservative MP, and the former chancellor of the exchequer under Johnson’s predecessor Theresa May, Philip Hammond, echoed the speaker, and also dubbed the move a “constitutional outrage.”

Meanwhile, Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott claimed Johnson was “aiming for a coup against parliament” in an overall strategy that she said was designed only to benefit US President Donald Trump.

First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon called for a united front in opposition to Johnson’s plan, describing Wednesday as a “dark [day] indeed for UK democracy.”

The Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland, which essentially props up Boris Johnson’s government, issued a statement welcoming the decision to hold a Queen’s speech after what it called “the longest parliamentary session since the union of England and Scotland in 1707.”

However, the party stated that its support for Johnson’s move was contingent on a review of the so-called ‘Confidence and Supply’ deal struck between the Tories and the DUP.

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