”Taking back control’ has never looked so sinister’: EU Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt accuses Boris Johnson of ‘suppressing debate’ by suspending parliament
- Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt took aim at Mr Johnson’s prorogation plans today
- He warned that ‘suppressing debate’ was ‘unlikely to help’ a future relationship
- During the European elections in May he campaigned for the Liberal Democrats
Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt has taken aim at Boris Johnson after the PM announced a ‘sinister’ five-week suspension of Parliament.
Mr Verhofstadt, who is Brexit co-ordinator for the European Parliament, warned that ‘suppressing debate on profound choices is unlikely to help deliver a stable future EU-UK relationship’.
Mocking the Vote Leave slogan promoted by Mr Johnson during the referendum campaign in 2016, he said: ‘Taking back control has never looked so sinister’.
‘As a fellow parliamentarian, my solidarity with those fighting for their voices to be heard,’ he added.
Belgian MEP Guy Verhofstadt (pictured) has taken aim at Boris Johnson after the PM announced a ‘sinister’ five-week suspension of Parliament
Mocking the Vote Leave slogan promoted by Mr Johnson during the referendum campaign in 2016, Mr Verhofstadt said: ‘Taking back control has never looked so sinister’
Mr Verhofstadt has frequently aimed his fire at Britain’s protracted Brexit process, urging the UK to cancel it altogether.
During the European election campaign in May he campaigned for the Liberal Democrats, whose slogan was ‘B****cks to Brexit’.
Asked if his presence could be seen as foreign interference, Mr Verhofstadt said at the time: ‘This is Europe. Europe, it’s all Europe.’
The EU itself is staying well out of the uproar caused by Mr Johnson’s announcement this morning.
European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said Wednesday that the bloc ‘is not commenting on internal political procedures of our member states’.
‘And we’re also not going to speculate what this means in terms of next steps,’ she went on.
The PM has asked the Queen (pictured together on the day he was appointed Prime Minister last month) for permission to prorogue Parliament in September
Allies of Boris Johnson (pictured in the Commons last month) insist the Queen’s Speech is a regular procedural step but he has already been accused of a ‘constitutional outrage’
She said that EU will assess any Brexit proposals ‘that are compatible with’ Theresa May’s withdrawal agreement.
Downing Street insists it is scheduling a Queen’s Speech as Governments habitually do, saying the Brexit process is irrelevant.
But opponents say the Government is trying to stop the House of Commons influencing Brexit, and have accused Mr Johnson of committing a ‘constitutional outrage’.
Pro-Remain MPs could make their move as early as next week when the Commons returns for a very brief sitting before it is prorogued in mid-September.
A cross-party group led by Jeremy Corbyn has agreed to work together to press for legislation to delay Brexit, but their time is running out.
Labour leader Mr Corbyn said today: ‘Suspending Parliament is not acceptable, it’s not on.
‘What the Prime Minister is doing is a sort of smash-and-grab on our democracy in order to force through a no-deal exit from the European Union.’
He added: ‘When Parliament does meet – on his timetable very briefly next week – the first thing we will do is to try and legislate and to prevent what he is doing.
‘And secondly to challenge him in a motion of confidence at some point.’
Tory rebel Dominic Grieve has said he would back a no-confidence vote against Mr Johnson.
Former Conservative Chancellor Philip Hammond accused Boris Johnson of a ‘constitutional outrage’, while Labour’s John McDonnell called it a ‘very British coup’.
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