Boris Johnson’s bid for early election fails

The prorogation ceremony is now complete – and Britain’s Parliament has been suspended until October 14.

It brings to an end one of the longest sessions in Parliament’s history, which has still failed to produce a path forward for Brexit.

MPs will return for a Queen’s Speech in mid-October, but you can expect plenty of twists and turns in British politics before then.

For now, though, we’re closing our live coverage. Thanks for following along with us on a dramatic day in Westminster.

Read our full report here.

An extraordinary scene has broken out in the middle of a traditionally polite prorogation ceremony.

Black Rod, the traditional gatekeeper of the House of Lords, walked into the House of Commons to request the presence of MPs in the upper chamber for the pomp – as is tradition.

But a group of opposition lawmakers held up sheets of paper with “Silenced” written on them, and outgoing Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow was not in the mood to entertain the traditional theatricality of the event.

In a remarkable show of dissent, Bercow sat slumped in his chair and made his anger with Boris Johnson’s decision to prorogue Parliament clear.

He said he would “play (his) part” in the ceremony, before adding, “this is not, however, a normal prorogation. It is not typical, it is not standard, it is one of the longest for decades”

Eventually he reluctantly rose, and was joined with Conservative MPs to make the walk to the House of Lords. Chants of “Shame on you!” reigned down in the chamber from MPs as the ceremony got back underway.

It’s just gone 1 a.m. in London, and a mammoth day in Parliament is coming to an end.

MPs and Lords are putting on their wigs and gowns to get ready for the prorogation ceremony, and no, that isn’t a joke.

The ceremony will officially bring to an end a historically long session of Parliament, which has seen two prime ministers and years of debate over Brexit.

Watch Boris Johnson’s response after he lost an attempt to secure a snap general election for the second time in a matter of days.

In a brief response to the vote rejecting Boris Johnson’s call for a snap election, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: “I hope the Prime Minster will reflect on the issue of prorogation, and shutting down Parliament to avoid a government being held to account, because that is exactly what he has done today and proposes to do to this country” Jeremy Corbyn says in his response to the vote.”

“At least he’s been consistent,” SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford adds of Johnson. “He’s lost every vote he’s brought to this House since he became Prime Minister.”

“Perhaps that’s the reason that he’s tried to shut down democracy this evening,” Blackford added.

“I earlier urged the House to trust the people but once again the opposition think they know better,” Boris Johnson said after losing his early election appeal a second time.

“They want to delay Brexit yet again … not only have they refused to choose the way ahead, they have now twice denied the British people their say in an election.”

“Now the House will be suspended until mid-October,” he said and added that he hoped the opposition uses that time “to reflect.”

“No matter how many devices this Parliament invents to tie my hands, I will strive to get an agreement in the national interest … this government will not delay Brexit any further,” he said.

“They cannot hide forever,” Johnson told Corbyn. “The moment will come when the people will finally get their chance to deliver their verdict.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has lost a second attempt in the House of Commons to force an early general election. The motion, which needed a majority of two thirds to pass, fell far short of that threshold.

Only 293 MPs voted for the motion, with 46 against. Johnson needed the support of two-thirds of MPs (at least 434) to trigger an early election.

After a lengthy debate, MPs are now filing into the voting lobbies to have their say on Boris Johnson’s motion.

He’s asking to be granted an early general election – but a united front from opposition parties is set to hand him another parliamentary defeat.

Voting will take about 15 minutes.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s motion for an early general election is getting a predictably frosty reception from opposition lawmakers during the House of Commons debate.

“Any general election must be undertaken in a period of calm, with an orderly approach, not in a period of national crisis,” Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson said.

“The Prime Minster is playing at this. In his speech tonight, he made it sound like this was sport, like this was a game. This is not a student debating society. This is about the national interest,” she added.

Earlier, the SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford told Johnson “we’ve had enough of this dictatorship,” and warned him “his days in office are numbered.”

The vote on Boris Johnson’s snap election motion has yet to take place, but as anyone who’s ever worked on a newspaper knows, deadlines are deadlines.

Tomorrow’s front pages tell the story of a divided nation.

The Conservative-supporting Daily Telegraph, of which Johnson was recently the highest-paid columnist, has focussed on Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow’s decision to stand down on the same day Brexit is delivered. The paper has been a long-term critic of the Speaker for what it sees as his anti-Brexit bias.

The Daily Mail goes a step further, with one of its highest-profile columnists calling Bercow a “partisan pipsqueak who disgraced his office.”

However, the Financial Times takes a more nuanced view, saying that the Speaker has stood up for the House of Commons and given it teeth during difficult times. This is the view of many remain-supporting lawmakers.

Back to the politics, and the left-leaning Guardian gives its lead story to Johnson’s defeat in the Commons, which will force his senior aides to hand over private communication on the government’s decision to suspend Parliament.

Leading left-wing tabloid, the Daily Mirror, calls Johnson “Britain’s worst prime minister,” and goads him for his numerous losses.

And finally, The Times reflects on a marathon sitting in Parliament, reflecting on the fact the the longest sitting of Parliament yet resulted in yet another humiliation for the new Prime Minister.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the “only conclusion” that can be reached on Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit strategy “is that the government’s pretensions to negotiate are nothing but a sham.”

“The Prime Minister knows full well there is no mandate for no-deal, no majority support for it in the country, and no majority support for it in this House,” he said, speaking during a debate in the House of Commons about calling an early election.

“This is a very serious issue – the Prime Minister is running away from scrutiny with his blather and his shouting,” he said to laughs from the government benches.

Corbyn quoted Michael Gove in March of this year saying the British people didn’t vote to leave with no deal, and notes Gove is now in charge of no-deal Brexit planning.

“I want to turf out this reckless government,” Corbyn said. But added: “A general election?isn’t something for the Prime Minster to play about with for propaganda points, or even his very poor quality posts on social media.”

In his response to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s speech calling for an early election, Jeremy Corbyn said his Labour Party want an election – but not if it involves risking a no-deal Brexit.

“The only point of any importance that the Prime Minister has just included in his speech is his clear indication that he does not intend to follow the law that has just been passed that requires him to ask for an extension in certain circumstances,” Corbyn said.

“No deal has been taken off the table.”

“I want an election, as the Prime Minster pointed out … I don’t retreat from that at all. We are eager for an election,” he added.

“But as keen as we are, we are not prepared to risk inflicting the disaster of no deal on our communities our jobs, our services, or indeed our rights.”

“No deal would not be a clean break. It would not mean just getting on with it. It would start a whole new period of confusion and delay.”

“The leader of the opposition cannot lead, he cannot make a decision. He cannot work out whether he is for Brexit or against it,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the House of Commons during a debate on holding an early general election.

“Perhaps their next policy will be whether to have a referendum on whether to have a referendum.”

“If you really want to delay Brexit beyond October 31… then vote for an election and let the people decide if they want a delay or not,” he said to Corbyn.

“If you refuse to do that tonight I will go to Brussels on October 17 and negotiate our party … hopefully with a deal, but without one if necessary,” he said.

“I will not ask for another delay,” he insisted, again signalling his desire to ignore the law that he must ask for an extension if he cannot achieve a deal.

“We know the real reason why Labour don’t want a general election” under Corbyn’s leadership, Boris Johnson tells the House of Commons. “Most of the don’t want a general election because they fear that their party will lose.”

Then, in a jibe at internal divisions within Corbyn’s party over his leadership, he adds: “But there is small, terrified minority of Labour MPs who don’t want an election because they actually think he might win.”

“The common thread joining all these parties is their extraordinary belief that the national interest requires them preemptively to protect the British people from the consequences of their own democratic decisions,” Johnson says.

“They only believe in democracy when it delivers the response that they want.”

Then, when Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow interjects to ask lawmakers to keep it down, Johnson responds with a bit of trademark theatricality, lifting up the microphone behind the dispatch box to cheers from his backbenchers.

MPs in Westminster may be debating into the early hours, but Brussels isn’t losing any sleep over Brexit.?

Tuesday is a big day for the European Union as its executive arm, the European Commission, is set to announce its new line up of commissioners.

The make up of the body – the EU’s de-facto cabinet – will say a lot about Europe’s post-Brexit landscape. The new commissioners will take up their roles on November 1st, a day after the UK is set to leave the bloc. The UK has not fielded a candidate.

This, as Downing St continues to pursue a policy of dialogue but disengagement with Europe.

Among EU circles, there is a sense Boris Johnson is running down the clock until the very last moment.

And an extension – whether he is willing to follow parliament’s instruction and ask for one – isn’t guaranteed either, with France’s foreign minister suggesting his country could play hard ball at the EU Council Summit on October 17.

Opening the debate on an early election, Prime Minister Boris Johnson called Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn “the first Leader of the Opposition in the history of our country to show his confidence in her Majesty’s government, by declining the opportunity to have an election with a view to removing the government.”

He notes that Corbyn previously said he would back an election once the bill blocking a no-deal has achieved royal assent. “By his own logic, he must now back an election,” Johnson says.

“I have accepted the reality that an election is the only way to break the deadlock in the House.”

“Why are they conniving to delay Brexit, in defiance of the referendum?” Johnson asks of Labour. “The only possible explanation is that they fear that we will win it,” he says.

We’ve made it – the main event of the night is beginning.

MPs are debating Boris Johnson’s second request for an early election. It will last for around 90 minutes, before a vote takes place. Johnson is not expected to come near the two-thirds majority needed to secure a snap election.

Boris Johnson has “no choice” but to ask for a delay to Brexit, the Brexit Party MEP Alexandra Phillips has told CNN.

Phillips lamented the outrage from opposition benches to Johnson’s decision to prorogue Parliament, noting that the suspension amounts only to a handful of extra days that Parliament would otherwise have been sitting.

“What are they going to do in three days that they haven’t done in three years?,” she told CNN. “We’re talking actually a matter of days.”

And she said the bill blocking a no-deal Brexit has damaged the UK’s standing.

“Any country that says to a bloc, you must decide our future … that to me is absolutely bizarre. That doesn’t seem like representative democracy at all,” she said.

But Phillips accepted that Johnson’s hands are tied by the law.

“He has no choice … If it’s a choice between go to prison or have to do what is now the law of this law, then I suppose he has to do what is law of this land. Do I agree with it? Absolutely not.”

“But does Boris Johnson have a choice? No, I think Downing Street has been outsmarted by the Remain Alliance in Parliament on this,” Phillips said.

Given the urgency of Brexit – particularly acute now that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has opted so suspend Parliament at the end of today – you’d be forgiven for asking why the House of Commons is currently engaged in a lengthy debate about Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland, the smallest country that makes up the United Kingdom, has not had a sitting parliament since 2017. The history of Northern Ireland requires that power is shared between unionists, whose loyalty lies with the United Kingdom, and republicans, who historically identified as wishing to be part of the Republic of Ireland.

That power-sharing agreement collapsed in early 2017 over a scandal thought to have cost the taxpayer millions.

Stormont in Belfast.

In theory, the debate taking place in Parliament now is part of what is supposed to be a fortnightly update on the formation of a power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland. However, the reason these debates are beholden on the government was part of a move by anti-no-deal MPs to block a no-deal. It’s quite complicated, but also quite important.

After Northern Ireland has been discussed, MPs will move onto debating the ongoing restoration works of the Houses of Parliament. The gothic palace has been crumbling for some time and the restoration works are ongoing. However, in order to keep those works ticking over, legislation needs to be passed.

Why is this all happening today?

Parliament only returned from its summer recess last week and has since then had the risk of prorogation hanging over it. So while Brexit is front and center, all this other business must be taken care of.

Isn’t democracy fun.

Black Rod (center, right) carrying his black rod.

Fast forward a few hours. It’s approaching midnight (or maybe even later), everyone is tired of talking about Brexit, and Parliament is about to be closed for business for five weeks.

But, since this is the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland we’re talking about, they’re not just going to lock up shop and head to bed.

Oh no. Instead, we get the time-honored Prorogation Ceremony. Yes, there is a ceremony.

What does it involve, you definitely didn’t ask? Well, the ceremony begins with an announcement read on behalf of the Queen.

Her statement, read by the Leader of the House of Lords in that chamber, says: “My Lords, it not being convenient for Her Majesty personally to be present here this day, she has been pleased to cause a Commission under the Great Seal to be prepared for proroguing this present Parliament.”

Then Black Rod gets involved. Black Rod is not actually a black rod, but a person referred to as Black Rod who carries a black rod. Black Rod has been around since the 14th century, and the current Black Rod – whose real-life name is Sarah Clarke – has been in the post since 2018.

The current Black Rod, Sarah Clarke.

Anyway, as I was saying, Black Rod carries a black rod at the opening and closing of Parliament, to help fulfil her or his duty to maintain the House of Lords.

At tonight’s ceremony, Black Rod will summon the House of Commons to the House of Lords. When the Commons arrive, representatives from each house greet each other – the Lords by doffing their hat, which is British for “hello,” and the Commons by bowing.

Then the government gets to read out their achievements from the past year, and then there is some speaking in Norman French.

Once that’s completed, Parliament is officially prorogued. But it’s not over. Lawmakers must then file out of the chamber, shaking hands with the Speaker as they go.

At this point, in accordance with tradition, the Spice Girls perform a medley of their hits.

Wait, no, that was the Olympics closing ceremony. Ah yes – at this point everyone goes to party conference for a month to argue some more about Brexit.

The debate over the rule of law has wrapped up with a vote. The ayes had it, so there was no need for MPs to go through the voting lobbies – saving us all 15 minutes of our lives.

To clarify, the vote doesn’t really mean anything – the motion was mainly tabled to give opposition lawmakers the chance to go on the record with their displeasure about the prospect of Johnson ignoring the law blocking no-deal.

MPs are now moving onto a debate about Northern Ireland, after which Johnson will make his second push for an election.

Representing the government, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said Boris Johnson is still attempting to achieve a deal with the European Union.

“This prime minister, this government, wants a deal,” Raab said. “And I believe it would be much better than no-deal.”

But he added that “respecting the referendum must also mean that this House allows us to leave without a deal.”

“Three years in experience to date demonstrates that taking that option off the table severely weakened our negotiating position in Brussels.”

“He will not go to negotiate a delay … he will go to negotiate our departure” on October 31, Raab said, referring to Johnson.

The SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford has said Boris Johnson must resign if he is serious about defying a law blocking a no-deal Brexit next month.

“The Prime Minister says he would rather die in a ditch than write to seek an extension to protect our economy from falling off the cliff edge,” Blackford said during the Commons debate. Johnson used the phrase during a speech last week.

“If that is the course that he chooses, then the Prime Minister must resign. Undermining democracy at every turn, the Prime Minister simply cannot be trusted.

“The rule book has been well and truly ripped up. And with it, democracy and decency. Shredded by a cult of Brexit fanboys in Number 10. Unfit to govern, unwilling to govern. What a despicable state of affairs,” Blackford said, adding: “I say to the Prime Minister be very careful. Be very careful. Do not obstruct the rule of law.”

After forcing the government to publish its documents on no-deal, opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn is now starting a debate on the rule of law, and whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson will abide by the bill blocking a no-deal Brexit that achieved royal assent earlier on Monday.

The debate will last 90 minutes.

“Parliament has passed a law to ensure that the will of parliament is upheld,” Corbyn said, opening the debate.

He added “the fact that Parliament is compelled” to do so “shows what extraordinary times we live in.”

And the Labour leader noted that Johnson is not present in the House of Commons to respond to points raised in the debate. “I do not keep the Prime Minister’s diary, he may keep his own, but here’s certainly not here to reply to this debate,” Corbyn said.

Lawmakers have approved the motion that called on Downing Street to publish its communications about proroguing government, and its documents about the impact of a no-deal Brexit.

The vote passed by 311 votes to 302.

Lawmakers are voting on whether to force the government to publish documents relating to its no-deal Brexit planning and its decision to prorogue Parliament.

If the motion passes, a whole swathe of communications between Downing Street advisers could be released.

The vote will take about 15 minutes and a result will be announced immediately afterwards.

Keir Starmer, Labour’s Shadow Brexit Secretary, has said the government should have the “decency and courage” to publish its communications about proroguing Parliament and a no-deal Brexit.

“The basic lack of trust that exists between the House and the executive is eroding day by day and it is extraordinary to shut down Parliament at this time,” he said during the debate.

“It is blindingly obvious why we are being shut down, to prevent scrutiny, as there can be no scrutiny if we are not sitting,” Starmer added.

He was pressed over Labour’s refusal to grant Boris Johnson an election, despite the party repeatedly stating for two years that they want a vote.

“I’m sure we’ll have a general election soon, but not at the cost of a no-deal Brexit,” Starmer said.

Boris Johnson doesn’t look like he’ll get his election… but those with their eye on John Bercow’s position will.

Lindsay Hoyle, the current deputy Speaker, has confirmed he’ll throw his hat into the ring to replace Bercow when he steps aside.

The election will be closely watched, with those in the government eager to avoid another holder willing to intervene in the Brexit saga as readily as Bercow.

We could be in for a long night.

For the next hour or so, MPs will continue debating the motion asking the government to publish its no-deal planning documents and correspondence over the suspension of parliament. There’ll be a vote at the end of the debate, which will take around 15 minutes.

Then, around 7.30 p.m. (2.30 p.m. ET) the same will follow – a 90 minute debate, and possibly a 15 minute vote afterwards – for the opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn’s urgent question, over the rule of law and whether Johnson will abide by the law blocking no deal.

After that there’ll be about an hour of debate over other matters, followed after 10 p.m. (5 p.m. ET) by the evening’s headline act: a debate and vote on Johnson’s request for an early election.

So, in short, we have about five hours of debates and votes ahead of us. Make sure you savor every minute, though: at the end of the night, Parliament will be prorogued until mid-October and we’ll all have to find something else to do with our time.

Lawmakers in the House of Commons are debating the urgent question granted by Speaker John Bercow earlier, asking the government to publish its correspondence about proroguing Parliament and its “Operation Yellowhammer” documents about no-deal planning.

They will debate until after 7 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET), after which there will be a vote on whether to approve the motion.

If it passes, the motion could throw up some juicy details of the planning amongst Boris Johnson’s government for the suspension of Parliament. It asks for “Ministers to lay before this House, not later than 11.00pm Wednesday 11 September, all correspondence and other communications (whether formal or informal, in both written and electronic form, including but not limited to messaging services including WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Facebook messenger, private email accounts both encrypted and unencrypted, text messaging and iMessage and the use of both official and personal mobile phones) to, from or within the present administration, since 23 July 2019 relating to the prorogation of Parliament”.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has now asked for an urgent parliamentary question, on whether the Prime Minister will obey the law blocking a no-deal Brexit that achieved royal assent earlier on Monday.

“There is very deep concern, not just across this House but across the whole country, at the commitment of the government to abide by the obligations set out in that act and the?outright statements in some quarters that they will disregard or seek to evade the law,” Corbyn said.

As expected, Speaker of the House John Bercow accepted the request. It will be debated later, for up to 90 minutes.

Parliament kept talking about John Bercow for over an hour, with tributes to the departing Speaker pouring in – mostly from the opposition benches.

But one member of the government has joined the appreciation. Michael Gove, the minister in charge of planning for a no-deal Brexit, has told Bercow his “commitment to your principles and to your constituents is unwavering and an example to others.”

“Your love of democracy is transparent in everything that you say and do … I want to, on behalf of myself as an individual and on the behalf of the Conservative Party, to say thank you.”

It’s safe to say that not everyone in the Conservative Party would echo Gove’s sentiments.

Many have left the Chamber, and some have noted on Twitter that the time being used to pay tribute to Bercow comes as the clock ticks down until the prorogation of Parliament tonight.

John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons, has been one of the most controversial political figures throughout the Brexit process.

Many believe that during his time as Speaker, he has used the job’s neutrality to mask his personal disappointment at the UK’s decision to leave the EU. Others say he has abused his position by giving preferential treatment to lawmakers seeking so spoil Brexit.

Far from being delighted at his imminent departure from politics, Bercow’s decision to stay in the speaker’s chair till October 31 will have infuriated hardline Brexiteers.

It’s the same day on which the UK is due to leave the EU. Those already suspicious of Bercow’s bias will fear that he will no longer have any reason to hide his real political views.

Bercow, of course, claims that during a turbulent time in politics, it’s preferable that the Commons has an experienced speaker who will give all voices a fair shout. But it’s nothing short of fanciful to think that a seasoned politician won’t have known exactly how this move will have been seen by supporters and enemies alike.

John Bercow spoke with CNN’s Bianca Nobilo earlier this year in a rare interview to talk about the unique challenges facing a speaker of the House of Commons throughout such a divided time in British politics.

John Bercow with CNN's Bianca Nobilo.

Watch the full interview here:

Those on the government benches will be pleased to see the back of Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow – but the timing of his departure may frustrate them.

Bercow said he’ll go on October 31 if, as expected, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is unable to secure a snap general election.

That means that it will be this Parliament that chooses his successor. Usually a new batch of MPs choose a new Speaker after an election.

Bercow’s timetable makes it a real possibility that another remain-backing MP, or at least one opposed to a no-deal Brexit, is selected by this Parliament – given that a majority of lawmakers have voted against no-deal in the past.

His move could, therefore, be read as a serving of revenge. It was revealed on Sunday that the Conservatives will stand a candidate in Bercow’s constituency at the next election, all but certainly removing him as an MP and as Speaker. Now, they won’t get the chance – but Johnson’s government may not be too pleased about Bercow’s play.

Opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn paying tribute to Bercow.

Speaker of he House of Commons John Bercow received a standing ovation from the opposition benches at the end of his speech – while most on the government’s side barely moved a muscle.

That encapsulates just how controversial Bercow has been since the Brexit referendum in 2016.

But Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has thanked him for changing the way the role of Speaker was approached.

“I want to put on record my thanks to you for being a superb Speaker of this House,” Corbyn said immediately after Bercow spoke.

“In your role as Speaker you’ve totally changed the way in which the job has been done … you’ve reached out to people across the whole country,” he added.

“Our democracy is the stronger for your being the Speaker,” Corbyn said. “As somebody who aspires to hold executive office, I like the idea of a powerful Parliament holding the executive to account.”

“It’s something I’ve spent the last 35 years doing myself.”

John Bercow said he will stand down as Speaker of the House of Commons this week if Boris Johnson succeeds in securing an election on Monday.

In case, as expected, that doesn’t happen, Bercow dropped another bombshell.

He will stand down on October 31 – the day Britain is set to leave the EU.

He says it would make sense to have an experienced Speaker in place after the Queen’s Speech in mid October.

Lawmakers in the House of Commons give Speaker John Bercow a round of applause.

“Throughout my time as speaker I have sought to increase the relative authority of this legislature, for which I will make absolutely no apology to anyone, anywhere, at any time,” Bercow told MPs.

“To deploy a perhaps dangerous phrase, I have also sought to be the backbenchers’ backstop,” he added.

“This has been … the greatest privilege and honor of my professional life for which I will be eternally grateful.”

UK House of Commons speaker John Bercow speaking in the Parliament Monday.

The UK House of Commons speaker John Bercow has announced his resignation. He will stand down if a snap election is called later this evening, and if not, he’ll go by October 31 at the latest.

Legislation designed to prevent the UK Government from forcing through a no-deal Brexit has become law after receiving royal asset by Queen Elizabeth II on Monday, according to Britain’s PA news agency.

The advocacy group Liberty announced Monday that it had launched a new legal challenge against UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to ensure he “upholds his obligations” and obeys the law over Brexit.

The organization’s lawyers said it would drop legal action if Johnson makes it clear that he will comply with the legislation, according to Britain’s PA news agency.

Labour lawmaker Yvette Cooper tweeted that is is “completely irresponsible” that Parliament is going to be suspended, which will halt the work of the House of Common’s Home Affairs Committee.

“This means @CommonsHomeAffs can’t meet formally tomorrow to take evidence on border preparations or immigration arrangements under No Deal,” Cooper wrote about tonight’s suspension.

“We’ve not yet had evidence from new Home Secretary on her plans & Parliament is now being stopped for 5 weeks. Completely irresponsible”

Conservative MP Mark Prisk said his decision not to stand for re-election was “personal and is not in reaction to Brexit,” but took the time to bemoan what he sees as a decline in “common sense” and a rise of “narrow ideology.”

“At 57 I feel now is the time for me to move on to the next phase of my life and a new career,” Prisk tweeted.

Former Conservative Party leadership contender and rebel MP Rory Stewart has cleared up any doubt over whether he might join the Liberal Democrats after being kicked out of his party for voting against it.

“For the avoidance of doubt I am not intending to join the Lib Dems,” he tweeted with the hashtag #RoryIsATory.

Jeremy Corbyn, opposition Labour party leader, leaves his residence in north London.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was asked Monday if he planned to take UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to court if he chooses to ignore the no-deal Brexit bill.

“Personally no. Because I’m an elected parliamentarian, my job is to represent my constituency and to lead my party,” Corbyn said, according to Britain’s Press Association news agency.

“I think it is extraordinary that we have a prime minister who has lost every vote he has put to Parliament in the few days it has been back that now goes around the country saying that he is going to defy parliament,” he said.

“Democracy requires that elected governments are responsible to Parliament itself . And the Prime Minister seems not to be prepared to do that.”

Corbyn said Labour “will take every parliamentary action we can and continue the public campaign to get no-deal taken off the table.”

Opposition lawmakers have expressed outrage at the UK Government’s announcement that it would suspend parliament at the end of Monday’s sitting.

“This is simply wrong at a time of national crisis,” Labour MP Diana Johnson tweeted. “I would be willing to sit day and night until 31st October to get this sorted out. This is what a real Leader would do not send MPs away.”

Another Labour MP, Alex Cunningham, tweeted that he was “appalled that Johnson is shutting down Parliament at a time of national crisis.”

“It’s not just Brexit – it’s the NHS starved of cash, increasing crime, education with schools desperate for more resources, housing, poverty, poor wages, cuts in council services & much more,” he wrote.

UK PM Boris Johnson and his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar have put out a joint statement following their meeting in Dublin earlier today.

It labels their talks “positive,” but notes that “significant gaps remain” between the pair.

Here’s the full statement:

?The Houses of Parliament?pictured in 2014.

Prorogation is the formal name given to the period of time between the suspension of one parliamentary session and another.

British governments usually arrange for a new parliamentary session every year or so.

According to convention, this happens when the Privy Council (a body of senior politicians who act as the Queen’s official advisers on the exercise of her limited executive powers) request that she “prorogue” (or suspend) parliament.

The new session will begin with the State Opening of Parliament and all of its associated pageantry (carriage processions, trumpets and the like). The Queen’s Speech is at the center of this; the monarch reads a text that lays out her government’s legislative priorities for the upcoming session.

In reality, the speech is written by Downing Street, and on October 14 the monarch will simply be a mouthpiece for Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Human rights group Amnesty International has warned of the consequences of Brexit – no matter if a deal is achieved or not.

Amnesty International added that UK lawmakers and the government “must do all they can to ensure human rights of those living in UK are protected, not undermined,” and called for leaders of all parties to make clear that the group’s concerns “are met.”

Former Conservative MP Richard Benyon – who defied UK PM Boris Johnson last Tuesday and voted with opposition lawmakers to take control of the parliamentary agenda – has tweeted that he will not seek re-election at the next general election.

Benyon was one of the 21 Conservative rebel MPs booted out of the parliamentary party as a result.

“As you know I was fully aware of the implications of voting the way I did last week and was not surprised when the whip was removed following the vote on Tuesday evening,” Benyon said in a statement posted on his website on Monday.

Benyon added he will continue to serve as his constituency’s MP until an election is called.

Boris Johnson’s government will prorogue Parliament at the end of Monday’s sitting, the Prime Minister’s official spokesperson has told journalists.

The spokesman added that the suspension will happen after Johnson tries to convince lawmakers to grant him a snap general election for the second time.

Unfortunately for the Prime Minister, that motion looks set to fail again, after opposition parties showed a united front on Friday, saying they would not support it.

The prorogation of parliament until October 14 – a longer period than is usual – has drawn wide condemnation by UK lawmakers, with some critics calling it a “constitutional outrage.”

The EU would need a “good reason” to grant another Brexit delay, the Irish Prime Minister said on Monday, adding that most EU countries would “prefer not to have an extension.”

“We will just move on to a new phase if there is no deal – it will cause severe disruption for British and Irish people alike, not so much on the continent,” Leo Varadkar said.

“Whatever happens, we will have to get back to the negotiating table quite quickly. And when we do, the first items on the agenda will be citizen’s rights, financial settlements and the Irish border.”

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar speaking with Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson earlier in a a joint press conference.

Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that “in the absence of agreed alternative arrangements, no backstop is no deal for us.”

He added: “All it does is kick the can down the road for another 14 months.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets with Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at Government Buildings.

UK PM Boris Johnson told reporters on Monday that a no-deal Brexit would be “a failure of statecraft,” but reiterated that it is essential the UK leaves the EU by October 31.

Johnson said “there are an abundance of proposals that we have,” to resolve the thorny question of the Irish backstop, but added that he didn’t think it “reasonable” to share them publicly.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The UK Prime Minister told reporters he understands the importance of the Irish border and reiterated that the UK would not impose checks there.

It is “absolutely vital … we keep the open border on the plan,” Boris Johnson told reporters at a joint press conference with Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in Dublin.

But he added: “We need to find a way of ensuring that the UK is not kept locked in a backstop arrangement, while giving Ireland the assurance that it needs.”

“Whether it’s electronic pre-clearance or … the unity of Ireland for agri-foods,” Johnson said. “I don’t underestimate the technical problems but I do think there is a way through.”

When asked if he has the power to get anything through parliament, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson told reporters he was “absolutely undaunted by whatever … takes place in Parliament.”

“I’m absolutely undaunted by whatever … takes place in parliament,” he added. “I think what the British people want us to do is to deliver a deal.”

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told reporters that “for the sake of business, farmers and millions of other people … I want you to know that I will overwhelmingly prefer to find an agreement.”

“I won’t say we can do it all today, but I do believe a deal can be done by October 18th, so let’s do it together,” he stressed.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks to the media ahead of his meeting with Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.

The UK Prime Minister’s Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar has warned that a no-deal Brexit “will cause much disruption to Ireland.”

Ireland’s Taoiseach Leo Varadkar “sincerely” welcomed Boris Johnson to Dublin on Monday morning, but warned the UK Prime Minister that the story of Brexit is no way nearly over.

“We both agree we have much to discuss, we accept the democratic and sovereign decisions to leave the EU,” Varadkar said at a joint press conference before their talks.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson meets with Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at Government Buildings in Dublin on September 9

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar are due to hold a joint press conference ahead of talks in Dublin shortly.

Johnson is likely to talk up the state of negotiations with the EU and the prospects of striking a deal with a bloc.

We’ll keep you posted with what’s said in the news conference as soon as it gets underway.

Podiums are prepared ahead of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's meeting with Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar

Former Supreme Court justice Jonathan Sumption has told BBC Radio 4’s Today program it would not be legal for UK PM Boris Johnson to apply for a Brexit extension, while also trying to get the European Union to reject it.

“What you’ve got to realize is the courts are not very fond of loopholes,” he added.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Johnson is primed for another weeklong battle.

Parliament returns Monday for a high-stakes final week before a lengthy – and controversial – suspension begins. By Friday, the course of Brexit could be clearer, but the intervening period will be anything but calm.

Early election or another rejection?

The Prime Minister starts his week with a visit to Dublin, where he will meet his Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar. Johnson will likely talk up the state of negotiations with the European Union and the prospects of striking a deal with the bloc.

But he’s remained steadfast to his commitment to secure Brexit next month, with or without a pact – and it’s the latter possibility that is causing all hell to break loose back home.

A bullish Boris Johnson offers caption writers a visual metaphor ahead of his high-steaks ... er, high-stakes week.

When he returns to that commotion later on Monday, his first task in Parliament looks doomed to fail. Johnson, who spent last week claiming he doesn’t want an election, will again attempt to achieve one – while Jeremy Corbyn, who has spent two years calling for an election, will desperately try to block it. Confusing, huh?

Polls suggest Johnson could defeat the opposition Labour leader at the ballot box. He’d hope to return a Brexit-backing Parliament that would give him room to operate in the process, though another hung parliament is a distinct possibility.?

But it appears he won’t get an immediate opportunity to prove the pollsters right: Johnson needs a two-thirds majority in Parliament to secure an early election, and with the support of his party and other opposition blocs, Corbyn’s blocking strategy is set to prevail.

The standoff leaves Westminster in an absurd and distorted limbo that perfectly illustrates its unending political paralysis – and, elsewhere, things could get even more complicated.

Good morning from London, where the British Prime Minister is facing an uphill battle in Parliament as the clock ticks down to Brexit. Stop us if you’ve heard this one before.

With lawmakers set to break for conference season at the end of the week, an epic and potentially pivotal week for Brexit begins on Monday.

What’s happening? Boris Johnson will try to convince lawmakers to grant him a snap general election for the second time on Monday, as a way out of the impasse in Parliament that has stymied his efforts to take Britain out of the EU.

But it looks like he’ll fail again. Despite calling for a vote for two years, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is leading a joint effort from opposition parties to block Johnson’s request until after Brexit is delayed.

Wait, Brexit’s being delayed again? In theory, it looks like it’s heading that way. A bill is set to be signed into law by the Queen on Monday that forces Johnson to ask the EU for a third extension to Brexit if he can’t agree a deal in the coming weeks. It was passed by lawmakers last week after they seized control of the House of Commons agenda from the government – prompting Johnson to detonate his own majority by firing 21 MPs.

The only problem? Johnson is still sticking to his promise to take Britain out of the EU on October 31, with or without a deal. That could lead to a showdown as early as this week.

Amber Rudd, pictured with Boris Johnson in January 2018, resigned from the Cabinet on Saturday.

We can also expect some reaction to Amber Rudd’s dramatic resignation over the weekend – and the possibility of a no confidence motion in Johnson’s government.

I hope you enjoyed your weekend — because Brexit is back with a vengeance.