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| Johnson denies lying to Queen over Parliament suspension | Johnson denies lying to Queen over Parliament suspension |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Boris Johnson has denied lying to the Queen over the advice he gave her over the five-week suspension of Parliament. | Boris Johnson has denied lying to the Queen over the advice he gave her over the five-week suspension of Parliament. |
| The prime minister was speaking after Scotland's highest civil court ruled on Wednesday the shutdown was unlawful. | The prime minister was speaking after Scotland's highest civil court ruled on Wednesday the shutdown was unlawful. |
| Asked whether he had lied to the monarch about his reasons for the suspension, he replied: "Absolutely not." | Asked whether he had lied to the monarch about his reasons for the suspension, he replied: "Absolutely not." |
| He added: "The High Court in England plainly agrees with us, but the Supreme Court will have to decide." | He added: "The High Court in England plainly agrees with us, but the Supreme Court will have to decide." |
| The power to suspend - or prorogue - Parliament lies with the Queen, who conventionally acts on the advice of the prime minister. | The power to suspend - or prorogue - Parliament lies with the Queen, who conventionally acts on the advice of the prime minister. |
| The current five-week suspension began in the early hours of Tuesday, and MPs are not scheduled to return until 14 October. | The current five-week suspension began in the early hours of Tuesday, and MPs are not scheduled to return until 14 October. |
| Labour has said it is "more important than ever" that Parliament is recalled after the government published the Yellowhammer document, an assessment of a reasonable worst-case scenario in the event of a no-deal Brexit. | Labour has said it is "more important than ever" that Parliament is recalled after the government published the Yellowhammer document, an assessment of a reasonable worst-case scenario in the event of a no-deal Brexit. |
| Meanwhile, the EU has said it is willing to revisit the proposal of a Northern Ireland-only backstop to break the Brexit deadlock, despite Mr Johnson ruling this out. | Meanwhile, the EU has said it is willing to revisit the proposal of a Northern Ireland-only backstop to break the Brexit deadlock, despite Mr Johnson ruling this out. |
| The President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, said there would be no agreement without a backstop - which aims to avoid a hard Irish border after Brexit - in some form. | The President of the European Parliament, David Sassoli, said there would be no agreement without a backstop - which aims to avoid a hard Irish border after Brexit - in some form. |
| But the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier told MEPs that the "situation in the UK remains serious and uncertain", saying: "We do not have reasons to be optimistic". | |
| He also warned the UK could still leave without a deal, despite Parliament introducing a law to avoid the scenario. | |
| The Yellowhammer document - published on Wednesday after MPs forced its release - warned of food and fuel shortages in a no-deal scenario. | The Yellowhammer document - published on Wednesday after MPs forced its release - warned of food and fuel shortages in a no-deal scenario. |
| But Mr Johnson insisted the UK "will be ready" to leave the EU by the current 31 October deadline without an agreement "if we have to". | But Mr Johnson insisted the UK "will be ready" to leave the EU by the current 31 October deadline without an agreement "if we have to". |
| "What you're looking at here is just the sensible preparations - the worst-case scenario - that you'd expect any government to do," he said. | "What you're looking at here is just the sensible preparations - the worst-case scenario - that you'd expect any government to do," he said. |
| "In reality we will certainly be ready for a no-deal Brexit if we have to do it and I stress again that's not where we intend to end up." | "In reality we will certainly be ready for a no-deal Brexit if we have to do it and I stress again that's not where we intend to end up." |
| But shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he was "angry" that MPs would not be able to debate the planning document during the suspension. | But shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he was "angry" that MPs would not be able to debate the planning document during the suspension. |
| If you had a usual prime minister who'd been accused overnight of misleading MPs, of breaking the law, having been forced to publish a government report warning of riots and food shortages and telling porkies to the Queen; you would imagine they would emerge a broken, humbled, crushed individual. | If you had a usual prime minister who'd been accused overnight of misleading MPs, of breaking the law, having been forced to publish a government report warning of riots and food shortages and telling porkies to the Queen; you would imagine they would emerge a broken, humbled, crushed individual. |
| Not so Boris Johnson. He emerged characteristically brimming with optimism and confidence. | Not so Boris Johnson. He emerged characteristically brimming with optimism and confidence. |
| No deal? He insisted he had got in place the necessary preparations to avoid the sort of dire scenarios forecast. | No deal? He insisted he had got in place the necessary preparations to avoid the sort of dire scenarios forecast. |
| An agreement with the EU? Yes he was hopeful of getting an agreement. | An agreement with the EU? Yes he was hopeful of getting an agreement. |
| And telling lies to the Queen? Absolutely not. | And telling lies to the Queen? Absolutely not. |
| But the difficulty is optimism and confidence only get you so far. MPs want details. They want details about what he's actually doing to avoid the grim no-deal forecast and what he's doing to get an arrangement with the EU | But the difficulty is optimism and confidence only get you so far. MPs want details. They want details about what he's actually doing to avoid the grim no-deal forecast and what he's doing to get an arrangement with the EU |
| And they want details - or the truth - about why he chose to prorogue Parliament. | And they want details - or the truth - about why he chose to prorogue Parliament. |
| Which means if the judges decide on Tuesday that Parliament should be recalled then I suspect Boris Johnson's going to need an awful lot more than bullish bravado. | Which means if the judges decide on Tuesday that Parliament should be recalled then I suspect Boris Johnson's going to need an awful lot more than bullish bravado. |
| In a unanimous ruling on Wednesday, the Court of Session in Edinburgh said Mr Johnson's decision to order the suspension was motivated by the "improper purpose of stymieing Parliament". | In a unanimous ruling on Wednesday, the Court of Session in Edinburgh said Mr Johnson's decision to order the suspension was motivated by the "improper purpose of stymieing Parliament". |
| It came after a legal challenge launched by more than 70 largely pro-Remain MPs and peers, headed by SNP MP Joanna Cherry. | It came after a legal challenge launched by more than 70 largely pro-Remain MPs and peers, headed by SNP MP Joanna Cherry. |
| But a ruling last week from the High Court in London had dismissed a similar challenge brought by businesswoman and campaigner Gina Miller. | But a ruling last week from the High Court in London had dismissed a similar challenge brought by businesswoman and campaigner Gina Miller. |
| In their rejection of her claim, the judges argued the suspension of Parliament was a "purely political" move and was therefore "not a matter for the courts". | In their rejection of her claim, the judges argued the suspension of Parliament was a "purely political" move and was therefore "not a matter for the courts". |
| Mr Johnson has suggested it was "nonsense" to suggest the move was an attempt to undermine democracy, insisting it is normal practice for a new PM. | Mr Johnson has suggested it was "nonsense" to suggest the move was an attempt to undermine democracy, insisting it is normal practice for a new PM. |
| Suspension criticised | Suspension criticised |
| Prorogation normally takes place every year, but the length and timing of the current suspension - in the run-up to Brexit - has attracted controversy. | Prorogation normally takes place every year, but the length and timing of the current suspension - in the run-up to Brexit - has attracted controversy. |
| Opposition parties have accused the prime minister of ordering it to prevent criticism of its Brexit strategy and contingency plans for a no-deal exit. | Opposition parties have accused the prime minister of ordering it to prevent criticism of its Brexit strategy and contingency plans for a no-deal exit. |
| They backed a move to order the release of communications between No 10 aides about the decision to order the suspension. | They backed a move to order the release of communications between No 10 aides about the decision to order the suspension. |
| But the government has blocked their release, saying the request to see e-mails, texts and WhatsApp messages from Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson's chief aide, and eight other advisers in Downing Street was "unreasonable and disproportionate". | But the government has blocked their release, saying the request to see e-mails, texts and WhatsApp messages from Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson's chief aide, and eight other advisers in Downing Street was "unreasonable and disproportionate". |
| The Yellowhammer file, which is redacted in parts and almost identical to a version leaked to the Sunday Times last month, says in a reasonable worst-case scenario a no-deal Brexit could lead to: | The Yellowhammer file, which is redacted in parts and almost identical to a version leaked to the Sunday Times last month, says in a reasonable worst-case scenario a no-deal Brexit could lead to: |
| The document also says some businesses could cease trading, and the black market could grow in response to disruption along the UK's border with Ireland. | The document also says some businesses could cease trading, and the black market could grow in response to disruption along the UK's border with Ireland. |
| "This will be particularly severe in border communities, where both criminal and dissident groups already operate with greater threat and impunity," it added. | "This will be particularly severe in border communities, where both criminal and dissident groups already operate with greater threat and impunity," it added. |
| It also raised the prospect of "protests and direct action" in Northern Ireland as a result of disruption to key sectors. | It also raised the prospect of "protests and direct action" in Northern Ireland as a result of disruption to key sectors. |
| Michael Gove, the cabinet minister with responsibility for no-deal planning, told the BBC the government had taken "considerable steps" to ensure the safest possible departure after a no-deal Brexit in the six weeks since 2 August, the date which appears on the document. | Michael Gove, the cabinet minister with responsibility for no-deal planning, told the BBC the government had taken "considerable steps" to ensure the safest possible departure after a no-deal Brexit in the six weeks since 2 August, the date which appears on the document. |
| On Wednesday, he said "revised assumptions" will be published "in due course alongside a document outlining the mitigations the government has put in place and intends to put in place". | On Wednesday, he said "revised assumptions" will be published "in due course alongside a document outlining the mitigations the government has put in place and intends to put in place". |