Prime Minister needs to stop playing political games

Boris Johnson’s reckless decision to prorogue Parliament and stop MPs from sitting was not only unlawful - but dangerous.

Indeed, it was a deliberate attempt to avoid scrutiny and escape accountability.

The Prime Minister knows just how damaging a No Deal Brexit would be to our food and medicine supplies, as well as thousands of jobs here in Sunderland, yet pressed ahead anyway.

Now that Parliament is back, we can hold him to account.

The House has voted for a bill which ensures that, if a deal has failed to be agreed by October 19, the Prime Minister has to request an extension to the Brexit deadline.

The only thing Boris has consistently stated is that he will not ask to extend the deadline.

Is he going to break the law or his only pledge?

At the same time, he is shying away from negotiation with Brussels; he repeats the claim that he has new ideas for the Northern Ireland border issue, but is yet to make his plans known.

He could solve this once and for all by putting the decision back to the people.

But he refuses to do that too. It is a static government, refusing to face up to the biggest issues of today.

Tory austerity has hit our communities hard; a UN expert has noted how the Conservative Government’s cuts were “entrenching high levels of poverty and inflicting unnecessary misery”.

Food bank use has doubled between 2013 and 2017, and the number of children requiring help from food banks has tripled - even though two-thirds of the children have a parent who works.

A No Deal Brexit would only make this worse.

The Government’s own analysis of a No Deal Brexit states that medicine supplies will be affected, food supplies diminished and trade slowed - affecting the whole manufacturing industry.

In proroguing Parliament, Boris has tried to avoid dealing with all of these issues.

Every second counts, and every delay is damaging.

Many domestic issues urgently need tackling.

The Prime Minister has to stop playing political games and start to deal with these important decisions.