‘THE CANDYFLOSS of outrage we’ve had over the last 24 hours, which I think is almost entirely confected, is from people who never wanted to leave the European Union,’ Tory Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg told Radio 4’s Today programme yesterday morning.
He added: ‘This is the greatest period of anger for them, or of confected anger, because after 31 October we will have left.’
Rees-Mogg approached the Queen on Wednesday asking for her to prorogue parliament. The Queen agreed to his request.
This mean that when MPs return to Westminster on September 3rd they will sit for barely a week before Parliament will be suspended on September 10th.
However, yesterday lunchtime a Scottish court hearing began which challenged the suspension of Parliament.
The 75 remainer MPs backing the legal action at the Court of Session in Edinburgh was launched last month.
They are now seeking an interim interdict that would prevent Parliament being suspended, pending a full hearing due to start on 6 September.
Aidan O’Neill QC, representing the remainer MPs, cited a separate case where, he said, it showed there was an ‘obligation on the sovereign to recall an order of prorogation’ if the court was satisfied there had been an ‘abuse of power’.
O’Neill said there had been a number of examples where an order already ‘signed off’ by the Queen had been successfully challenged.
This means that if it can be proved in the Scottish court that there had been an ‘abuse of power’ the Queen would be implicated in it.
The Queen is involved in this. In her official announcement it states: ‘It is this day ordered by Her Majesty in Council that Parliament be prorogued on a day no earlier than Monday the 9th day of September 2019 to Monday the 14th day of October 2019.’
An early day motion calling for a ‘Humble Address’ has been laid down by Ian Blackford, Westminister leader for the Scottish nationalists. A Humble Address is a direct call from the Commons to the Monarch and in this case it would ask the Queen to ‘please reconsider your decision’.
Kate Osamor, Labour MP for Edmonton gave the following ominous warning: ‘The Queen should look at what happened to her cousin Tino, ex-King of Greece, when you enable a right-wing coup! Monarchy abolished!’
Pro-remain campaign group called ‘Best for Britain’ put out a statement yesterday: ‘Her Majesty would do well to remember that history doesn’t look too kindly on royals who aid and abet the suspension of democracy.’
Meanwhile, Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell when asked about what can realistically be achieved between next Tuesday and the suspension of Parliament, in terms of a legal challenge to Brexit, said: ‘The cross party group is meeting.
‘The various experts from various political parties including, obviously, experienced Conservative MPs as well, legal experts looking at the mechanisms we can use next week.
‘We are looking at a legislative proposal and I think that that is the best way to start off. The issue is the shortage of time and that is why Boris Johnson has mobilised this extraordinary undemocratic move of trying to prorogue Parliament.
‘The cross party group will be looking at all mechanisms in order to defeat this manoeuvre by Johnson.’
Earlier in the day, Ruth Davidson quit as leader of the Scottish Conservatives. She has been extremely critical of Prime Minister Boris Johnson – particularly over his approach to Brexit.
However, yesterday in her resignation speech, she struck a much more conciliatory chord claiming that she stands with Johnson and was confident that he was seeking a deal with the EU and urging MPs to vote for a deal with the EU.
