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Boris Johnson to face MPs' fury in speech to parliament today after Supreme Court ruling plunges government into crisis

PM is facing mounting calls to resign in wake of court judgement

Ashley Cowburn
Political Correspondent
Wednesday 25 September 2019 11:49 BST
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Boris' convoy heads from Heathrow Airport to Westminster

Boris Johnson is to face MPs' wrath in the Commons today for the first time since the explosive ruling of the Supreme Court that the suspension of parliament was unlawful.

It comes as the prime minister, who is facing mounting calls to resign in the wake of the court's ruling, touched down in London on the RAF Voyager a little over an hour before the scheduled reopening of the Commons.

He is expected to make after John Bercow, the Commons speaker, announced on Tuesday the chamber would resume its sitting at 11.30am today – 19 days ahead of the 14 October date when Mr Johnson had been planning to allow them back.

Opponents of a no-deal Brexit have now vowed to use the extra time available to ensure the prime minister complies with the law that requires him to seek a Brexit extension if no deal is in place by 19 October.

Other statements from ministers are expected to include updates on the closure of Thomas Cook, preparations for a no-deal Brexit, the situation in Iran and a business statement from the Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg.

It will also be the prime minister's first face-to-face encounter with Jeremy Corbyn, after the Labour leader was forced to cut short his party's annual conference in Brighton and head back to the Commons a day early.

Speaking this morning, Mr Corbyn repeated his demand for Mr Johnson to resign after the 11 justices at the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that his five-week suspension of parliament was unlawful and void.

In his first appearance on Radio 4's Today programme since the 2017 general election campaign, Mr Corbyn said the prime minister "should apologise to her [the Queen] for the advice he gave her, but more importantly the British people".

"I would have thought it would have been pretty obvious that the course the PM was set on was very risky and an affront to our democracy," the Labour leader added as he questioned the advice of government lawyers.

He added that Mr Johnson had "clearly abused the power he has in the royal prerogative and attempted to close down parliament".

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