Breaking News: Govt asks Queen to Suspend Parliament

The Boris Johnson's government has asked the Queen to suspend Parliament just days after MPs return to work in September - and only a few weeks before the Brexit deadline.

Boris Johnson said a Queen's Speech would take place after the suspension, on 14 October, to outline his "very exciting agenda".

But it means MPs are unlikely to have time to pass laws to stop a no-deal Brexit on 31 October.

Anti-Brexiteer Tory backbencher Dominic Grieve called the move "an outrageous act".

He warned it could lead to a vote of no confidence in Mr Johnson, adding: "This government will come down."

John Bercow, the Commons Speaker, who is on a family holiday and wasn't told - called it a "constitutional outrage" adding: “Shutting down Parliament would be an offence against the democratic process".

Lib Dem Brexit spokesman Tom Brake declared: "His declaration of war will be met with an iron fist." Labour MP Clive Lewis added: "The police will have to remove us from the chamber. We will call on people to take to the streets. We will call an extraordinary session of Parliament."

Boris said it was "completely untrue" to suggest the suspension was motivated by a desire to force through no deal.

He said he did not want to wait until after Brexit "before getting on with our plans to take this country forward", and insisted there would still be "ample time" for MPs to debate the UK's departure.

"We need new legislation. We've got to be bringing forward new and important bills and that's why we are going to have a Queen's Speech," he added.

Ah ha, I can hear the cries and moans of the snowflakes from here.