Progrogation? It’s a royal prerogative

What just happened?

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson executed a surprise manoeuvre yesterday, asking the Queen to give her speech outlining the Government’s agenda on October 14. Parliament is normally suspended before a so-called Queen’s Speech, usually by about a week. The Queen agreed to the suspension.

So the Queen can suspend Parliament?

Yes. It is a power that falls within the royal prerogative, allowing it to happen by royal proclamation. The Prime Minister must request that the Queen use her power to suspend Parliament. Prorogation is the official term for a temporary suspension of the British Parliament, marking the end of that parliamentary session. Parliament is regularly prorogued in order to bring a session to a close, or for an election to be held, with another session beginning soon after as part of the State Opening of Parliament.

Why is it important?

It could make a no-deal Brexit more likely. The suspension would add to an already planned suspension — from mid-September for about three weeks — that is meant to allow the main political parties to hold their annual conferences. That means that when lawmakers come back to work on September 3, they would have only a few days of work before they break up again until mid-October. That would leave them very little time to debate and pass legislation to keep Britain from leaving the European Union without a deal on October 31.

Can British lawmakers prevent this suspension?

It’s unclear, but they will try. The lawmakers could call for a noconfidence vote in the Government, which if passed would normally cause it to collapse. But Johnson is likely to simply ignore that call, says Scott Lucas, professor of international politics at the University of Birmingham. The lawmakers are likely to try to keep Parliament open by passing emergency legislation when they reconvene on September 3. And there will be battles in court starting immediately, Lucas said. But it’s unclear whether they will have enough time.

How likely is a no-deal Brexit now?

The likelihood has risen since Johnson became Prime Minister in July, and the suspension of Parliament seems to increase that possibility. The pound, which is one of the best indicators of international investors’ confidence in the country, fell on yesterday’s news. Brexit supporters say that if Johnson makes the threat of a nodeal Brexit credible, he is more likely to be able to get the EU to renegotiate the divorce deal before October 31. But some experts note that the EU is already taking that threat seriously and that the UK has more to lose economically than the rest of the EU.