Government to ask Queen to prorogue Parliament

[-:Undertaker:-]

Government expected to suspend Parliament from mid-September, meaning MPs have limited time to stop no-deal Brexit https://t.co/6QDIT1IfgY

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) August 28, 2019

Excellent news!

We voted 3 years ago. Get on with it!

[-:Undertaker:-]

Absolutely hilarious watching the people who've kicked numerous conventions over, now going ballistic that a standard convention is being deployed.

NEW: I understand that the Queen will be asked to prorogue Parliament today at Balmoral. Three privy councillors will see her today (led by Lord Pres of Council, Jacob Rees Mogg) and ask for a prorogation in council for September 9th.

— Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) August 28, 2019

When Stop Brexit crowd manipulate procedure (trying to make the Commons be the executive) and pledge to use any means necessary (other than, you know, voting for a sodding Brexit deal) they self-define as noble. When Johnson fights back that's a "coup". Apparently.

— Iain Martin (@iainmartin1) August 28, 2019

[-:Undertaker:-]

Re: Corbyn's request that the Queen meet him and other PCs before a decision is made is too late. I understand the meeting in Balmoral has happened and the order has been made

— Henry Zeffman (@hzeffman) August 28, 2019

Jacob Rees-Mogg, Leader of the Commons, and Mark Spencer, the Chief Whip, flew to Balmoral this morning for Privy Council meeting with Queen on proroguing Parliament

The decision has been made and short of something remarkable (ie Queen reversing decision) it's happening

— Steven Swinford (@Steven_Swinford) August 28, 2019

Earlier we thought that Parliament had seven days to stop no deal, from September 3rd through to September 12th

In fact the Government is considering proroguing Parliament on Monday 9th, leaving MPs with just *FOUR DAYS* to stop no deal

— Steven Swinford (@Steven_Swinford) August 28, 2019

Even if Grieve and the corrupt Speaker Bercow were able to engineer a Standing Order 28 and seize the timetable of the House of Commons from the government (again, driving a coach and horses through convention) then the government could bombard the bill in the Commons and the Lords with amendments to slow its progress. Finally, if it were to then pass both houses in the (now) very limited time - Her Majesty's Government is entitled to instruct The Queen to use the Royal Veto on the legislation.

In short, if Parliament really wants to stop No Deal then it must remove the government *and* find the numbers to replace it.

[Barkseh]

Cracking news. Well done Boris.

[-:Undertaker:-]

I was avoiding alcohol but I may have a couple tonight in celebration.

The Queen approves order to suspend UK Parliament from early September to 14 October - just before Brexit deadline https://t.co/6OLmWNavwa

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) August 28, 2019

If you have just 6 sitting days after Queens Speech, you would need do say:

3-4 days for all Commons stages
1-2 days for all Lords stages
1 day for poss ping pong.

No room for error/nightmare amendments.

Tiny amount of scrutiny for a hugely significant piece of legislation.

— Joe Owen (@jl_owen) August 28, 2019

[-:Undertaker:-]

Apparently Number 10 is looking at other tricks to deploy to obstruct and use up parliamentary time.

These include:

- Creating new Bank Holidays in September/October as Parliament cannot sit during a Bank Holiday.
- Hold an Emergency Budget to take up days of parliamentary timetable.
- Create dozens of awkward amendments to bills to delay and drag for time.
- Have Lords filibuster any bills that make it through so they die before the 9th of September (prorogation).
- Potentially flood the Lords with new peers if the any bill looks likely to succeed.
- If a Bill is successful, have the PM advise the Queen to refuse to grant Royal Assent.

Latest constitutional conundrum...

Some serious players on govt side think it is possible for PM simply to refuse to send any bill for Royal Assent (final stage, where Queen signs it). Can he do that? We’re in unchartered territory, so answer isn’t clear. https://t.co/CiH3yTSz4m

— Paul Brand (@PaulBrandITV) August 29, 2019

And if a General Election is triggered in the coming days and weeks, here is the current state of play.

Westminster voting intention:

CON: 34% (+1)
LAB: 22% (+1)
LDEM: 17% (-2)
BREX: 13% (-1)
GRN: 8% (+1)

via @YouGov, 27 - 28
Chgs. w/ 23 Aug

— Britain Elects (@BritainElects) August 28, 2019

[scottish]

[dbgtz]

so glad were leaving the undemocractic eu

[-:Undertaker:-]

Election klaxon.

Senior DUP sources suggesting they have been advised by senior Conservatives that they intend to call an election in November.

— Jamie Bryson (@JamieBrysonCPNI) August 29, 2019

And more on Dominic Cumming's involvement with Whitehall's No Deal planning ramping up. Plus a BBC NewsNight clip below of which four guests spelling out what they think is most likely to happen, although I have posted the one I think is most realistic out of the four.

Dom Cummings is said to have been intimately involved in drawing up the plans

One minister said of timing: 'Dom Cummings is bringing a sub-machine gun to a knife fight'

Whitehall is ordering t-shirts and mugs with slogan 'Get Ready'

— Steven Swinford (@Steven_Swinford) August 29, 2019

“They’re going to go for an extension and the thing that is key this time around compared to the extension in March/April, it is no longer costless for MPs… but it won't pass.”

Helen Thomas from Blonde Money on what she expects from MPs next week #newsnight | @MarketBlondes pic.twitter.com/vl32fEHsdK

— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) August 29, 2019

I also found out something interesting today which shows how little time/options Remainers now have left.

The Fixed-Term Parliament Act (FTPA) gives the opposition 14 days in the event of a Vote of No Confidence (VoNC) to propose an alternative government that can command the House of Commons. I have already touched on that. However what I didn't know, and what I was overlooking, was that with prorogation this still applies. In other words, if next week when the Commons returns the opposition hold a VoNC and win - they only have a matter of whatever days are left before the 9th of September to cobble together a government and have the Queen appoint it.

After that, the 14 days will still be counting but Parliament won't be sitting. So what I am saying is, if they go for a VoNC next week and fail to remove the government then an election will be automatically triggered during prorogation and the Prime Minister will then be able to choose the date of that election, obviously after October 31st. This means Parliament will not sit again until the General Election takes place as it will have undergone automatic dissolution with the FTPA.

That famous saying; "If you go for the King, you better make sure you don't miss."

[Inseriousity.]

It's quite refreshing to have a government with a strategy and not just waving a white flag. I'm interested to see whether the opposition will manage to push through their legislation in time. If I remember rightly, their last legislation was done super quick so it might be possible but that was with a government only feebly opposing it. Might be harder if this government will take more extraordinary lengths to slow things down