PM denies lying to queen
BRITISH Prime Minister Boris Johnson yesterday denied lying to Queen Elizabeth over the reasons for suspending the British parliament after a court ruled his decision was unlawful and opponents called for lawmakers to be recalled to discuss Brexit.
Since Johnson won the top job in July, Britain’s Brexit crisis has spun more furiously, leaving investors and allies bewildered by an array of decisions that have pushed the once stable political system to its limits.
Parliament was prorogued on Monday until October 14, a move Johnson’s opponents said was designed to thwart their attempts to scrutinise his plans for leaving the EU and to allow him to push through Brexit on October 31, with or without an exit deal to smooth the way.
Scotland’s highest court of appeal ruled on Wednesday that the suspension was not lawful and was intended to stymie lawmakers, prompting opponents to question whether Johnson had lied to the queen, who must formally order the prorogation.
“Absolutely not,” Johnson said when asked by a TV reporter if he had misled the queen, who is the world’s longest reining monarch and is widely respected for more than 67 years of dedicated service during which she has stayed above the fray of politics.
Johnson said the current session of parliament was longer than any since the English Civil war in the 17th century, adding that lawmakers would have plenty of time to again discuss Brexit after an EU summit on October 17-18.
He says parliament was suspended to allow the government to present its legislative programme.
With less than 50 days until the UK is due to leave, the government and parliament are locked in conflict over the future of Brexit, with possible outcomes ranging from leaving without a deal to another referendum.
A “no-deal” Brexit could snarl cross-Channel trade routes, disrupting supplies of medicines and fresh food while protests spread across Britain, according to a worst-case scenario reluctantly released by the government on Wednesday.
The “Operation Yellowhammer” assumptions, prepared six weeks ago just days after Johnson became prime minister, form the basis of government no-deal planning.
Britain is unlikely to run out of essentials like toilet paper in the event of a no-deal Brexit, but some fresh fruit and vegetables could be in short supply and prices might rise, supermarket bosses warned yesterday.
Johnson has repeatedly said he will seek to strike a deal at the EU summit to remove the Irish border backstop, an insurance agreement to prevent the return of border controls between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic after Brexit. | Reuters