In the strongest sign yet that he’s expecting a backlash from lawmakers against his plans to lead Britain out of the EU by October 31, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has asked Queen Elizabeth to suspend the UK’s parliament from September 12 to October 14.
The pound took an immediate pummelling as the news started making headlines, dropping as much as 1.1% to the USD and Euro.
In an apparent move to assuage fears that he’s taking an early stand against possible opposition that he might lead Britain out of the EU without or without a deal, Johnson said that MPs and ministers would have enough time do their work from October 14 onwards.
However, if the Queen acquiesces to his suspension call, there won’t be much wiggle room for lawmakers before the EU’s two-day Brexit summit starts on October 17.
And as rumblings of a constitutional crisis reverberated through the corridors of British power following Johnson’s appeal to the Queen, it has emerged that certain MPs intend to carry on meeting in an ex-officio setting as they strive to prepare for Brexit.
News of forming some sort of pseudo parliamentary gathering in opposition to Johnson’s suspension strategy is widely seen as being openly defiant of the Prime Minister’s intention to forge ahead with Brexit, even it means a hard break from the EU.
