Brexit: fury over Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a news conference at the end of the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, August 26, 2019.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision to suspend parliament until 14 October, just two weeks before the date of Brexit, sparked a wave of indignation in the United Kingdom, where a petition against the measure gathered Thursday more than one million signatures.

The pound fell 0.6% against the euro and the dollar after the announcement of the suspension that reinforced the assumption of a "no deal", raising fears of shortages and the restoration of customs duties.

On the petition.parliament.uk official website, a petition against the decision, described by opponents as a "coup d'etat", exceeded Thursday morning the 1.1 million signatures. In the United Kingdom, petitions of up to 100,000 signatures can trigger a parliamentary debate.

Thousands of people demonstrated Wednesday night in London, Manchester, Edinburgh and other major cities. Hundreds of people gathered in front of the Parliament chanting "Stop the coup" and brandishing the European flag, then Downing Street where the Prime Minister is installed.

"Docile" with Trump

Although the UK Parliament is usually suspended in September because of the parties' annual congresses, the extension of the suspension until October 14 has been described by the Speaker of the Lower House, John Bercow, as a "constitutional scandal".

"This is a scandal and a threat to our democracy", also reacted Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Labor, the main opposition party. Mr. Corbyn wrote to the Queen asking for an interview, according to a source in Labor. He hopes to get the support of MPs to file a no-confidence motion against the government, but will have to do it before the suspension on 9 September.

"It's going to be very difficult for Jeremy Corbyn (...) to get a vote of no confidence (...) especially since Boris is exactly what the United Kingdom was looking for," he said on Twitter. US President Donald Trump who has, on several occasions, dangled an ambitious free trade agreement with the UK after Brexit.

"I think what the US president means is that Boris Johnson is exactly what he was looking for, a docile Prime Minister who will put British public services back into the hands of American companies," Jeremy Corbyn retorted on Twitter.

Agitation among the Tories

In the conservative moderate ranks, suspension has also been denounced.

Former finance minister Philip Hammond, opposed to a "no deal", called it a "constitutional scandal".

And according to several media, the popular leader of the Scottish Conservative party, Ruth Davidson, is expected to resign Thursday. With his charismatic personality, the 40-year-old had managed to breathe new life into the Scottish Conservative Party, whose prime minister Nicola Sturgeon accused Johnson of acting like a "junk dictator."

Boris Johnson defended himself by saying on Sky News that the timetable "will leave ample time for MEPs to debate the EU and Brexit".

Legal claims have already been announced by more than 70 Scottish parliamentarians in the highest civil instance in Scotland on the one hand and Gina Miller, a businesswoman and anti-Brexit activist, on the other. English justice.

For The Times, the suspension "pushes Britain to the brink of the constitutional crisis", while The Guardian predicted a "historic parliamentary clash" while deputies hostile Brexit seek a way to counter the decision of the Prime Minister .

Show a united front to the EU

Boris Johnson asked Queen Elizabeth II, who agreed, to suspend Parliament after the debates from September 9 to October 14. The session will resume with the traditional speech of the Queen, in which she exposes the program of the government.

"The weeks leading up to the European Council (17 and 18 October) are vital for my negotiations with the EU," he stressed, adding: "By showing unity and determination, we have a chance to win a new agreement that can be adopted by Parliament ".

The date of return was chosen on 14 October for the Parliament to sit before the European Council and, in case of a new agreement with the EU, to adopt the law necessary for its ratification by 31 October, the date on which the UK must leave the EU, according to a government statement.

MEPs have already rejected the EU's exit agreement with the former Theresa May government three times. But they failed to agree on the form to be taken Brexit, voted in June 2016 by 52% of the British.

London and the EU are particularly opposed to the fate of the future Irish border, which will separate the United Kingdom from the European single market.