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The latest humiliation and inability to move forward with Brexit should be reason enough! Should he be sacked by his own party?
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Contact the PP Team
Is it time to sack Boris Johnson as Prime Minister of UK?
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Before everything gets swept up in a force 10 political storm, stop for a moment to think about what has just happened.
The highest court in the land has just ruled that the serving prime minister broke the law. He gave the Queen advice that was unlawful.
Therefore his decision to suspend Parliament was also against the law, so is now null and void.
Short of the inscrutable Lady Hale, with the giant diamond spider on her lapel, declaring Boris Johnson to be Pinocchio, this judgement is just about as bad for the government as it gets.
Mr Johnson is, as is abundantly clear, prepared to run a general election campaign that pits Parliament against the people. And so what, according to that view of the world, if that includes the judges as part of the establishment standing in his way?
But there is a difference between being ruthless and reckless. And the scope and strength of this judgement cannot just be dismissed as some pesky judges sticking their noses in.
Just a few weeks ago, the advice of government lawyers was said to be that it was unlikely the judges would want to step into such explosive territory. They were wrong. For the very many people in the Conservative Party who have doubts about Boris Johnson but wanted to give him the chance, this is a nightmare.
But back to that political storm which is, no surprise, already raging. To shouts of 'Johnson out! Johnson out!' on the Labour conference floor, Jeremy Corbyn said the prime minister should consider his position - in other words he should quit.
The SNP and Liberal Democrats are calling on him to go now too.
The prime minister is in New York at the United Nations, and his team is yet to respond. But the idea that he would walk is far-fetched (for now). What seems certain though is that MPs will be sitting again in Parliament on Wednesday.
The Commons Speaker has already said they should convene urgently. Some MPs have, out of principle, already gone back to sit on the green benches. It is a different question of course to ask, for what purpose, what will they discuss.
There isn't suddenly going to be a majority in Parliament for a way out of this mess. And Boris Johnson will inevitably try to use this to his political advantage.
Do not underestimate how aggressive Number 10 might be willing to be in response to the judgement. It is possible they will fly straight back from New York to face the music, armed with what strategy is harder to read.
But the decision to suspend Parliament may just have blown up in Number 10's face.
In his two months in power, Boris Johnson has lost his first six Commons votes, broken the law by suspending Parliament and misled the monarch.
Even for a politician who seems to enjoy breaking the rules, that is a serious charge that, only two months into office, even the most brazen Johnson backer cannot simply shrug off.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49813639
The highest court in the land has just ruled that the serving prime minister broke the law. He gave the Queen advice that was unlawful.
Therefore his decision to suspend Parliament was also against the law, so is now null and void.
Short of the inscrutable Lady Hale, with the giant diamond spider on her lapel, declaring Boris Johnson to be Pinocchio, this judgement is just about as bad for the government as it gets.
Mr Johnson is, as is abundantly clear, prepared to run a general election campaign that pits Parliament against the people. And so what, according to that view of the world, if that includes the judges as part of the establishment standing in his way?
But there is a difference between being ruthless and reckless. And the scope and strength of this judgement cannot just be dismissed as some pesky judges sticking their noses in.
Just a few weeks ago, the advice of government lawyers was said to be that it was unlikely the judges would want to step into such explosive territory. They were wrong. For the very many people in the Conservative Party who have doubts about Boris Johnson but wanted to give him the chance, this is a nightmare.
But back to that political storm which is, no surprise, already raging. To shouts of 'Johnson out! Johnson out!' on the Labour conference floor, Jeremy Corbyn said the prime minister should consider his position - in other words he should quit.
The SNP and Liberal Democrats are calling on him to go now too.
The prime minister is in New York at the United Nations, and his team is yet to respond. But the idea that he would walk is far-fetched (for now). What seems certain though is that MPs will be sitting again in Parliament on Wednesday.
The Commons Speaker has already said they should convene urgently. Some MPs have, out of principle, already gone back to sit on the green benches. It is a different question of course to ask, for what purpose, what will they discuss.
There isn't suddenly going to be a majority in Parliament for a way out of this mess. And Boris Johnson will inevitably try to use this to his political advantage.
Do not underestimate how aggressive Number 10 might be willing to be in response to the judgement. It is possible they will fly straight back from New York to face the music, armed with what strategy is harder to read.
But the decision to suspend Parliament may just have blown up in Number 10's face.
In his two months in power, Boris Johnson has lost his first six Commons votes, broken the law by suspending Parliament and misled the monarch.
Even for a politician who seems to enjoy breaking the rules, that is a serious charge that, only two months into office, even the most brazen Johnson backer cannot simply shrug off.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49813639
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Jeremy Corbyn is leading calls for Boris Johnson to resign after the Supreme Court ruled the PM's decision to suspend Parliament was unlawful.
The Labour leader told his party's conference in Brighton the prime minister "has been found to have misled the country" and should step down.
The SNP and some Labour MPs said Mr Johnson could be ousted via a no-confidence vote, if he refused to go.
MPs will return to work on Wednesday at 11:30 BST after the court's ruling.
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said one member of the government had joined calls for Mr Johnson to resign in the wake of the judgement, but, right now, that view was not widespread in the Conservative Party.
Mr Johnson suspended - or prorogued - Parliament for five weeks earlier this month, arguing it was necessary in order to hold a Queen's Speech and set out a new legislative programme.
But the court ruled it was wrong to stop MPs carrying out their duties in the run-up to Brexit on 31 October.
Supreme Court president Lady Hale said "the effect [of prorogation] on the fundamentals of democracy was extreme" and the government had provided no justification for it.
The PM has promised the UK will leave on 31 October, with or without a deal with the EU, but before the prorogation, Parliament passed a law intended to force a delay instead of allowing a no-deal exit.
It states that Mr Johnson has until 19 October to either pass a deal or get MPs to approve no deal - and if he fails, he must ask for an extension to the UK's departure date.
In a statement outside Parliament, Commons Speaker John Bercow said there would be no Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, but there would be scope for urgent questions, ministerial statements and emergency debate applications.
Opposition MPs say they plan to use the session to hold Mr Johnson to account for his actions - and potentially begin moves to oust him as prime minister.
Parliament twice rejected the prime minister's call for a general election earlier this month - under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, Mr Johnson needs the support of two-thirds of MPs to hold a snap poll.
While opposition MPs said at the time they did want an election, they insisted they must first be sure that no deal could not happen.
Now, however, the SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford has suggested the PM's opponents could not afford to wait.
"The opposition has to do its job - we need to remove him and we need do that through a motion of no confidence, leading to a general election," he said.
He continued: "It has to come quickly, we have to seize the moment, we cannot leave him in office, he has to be removed."
But Mr Corbyn, in his keynote speech at Labour's conference - brought forward from Wednesday to Tuesday so he could return to Westminster - said an election needed to take place "as soon as this government's threat of a disastrous no-deal is taken off the table".
"That condition is what MPs passed into law before Boris Johnson illegally closed down our Parliament," he said.
The BBC's political correspondent, Iain Watson, said despite the court ruling, Mr Corbyn had made clear he would not call a vote of no confidence to trigger an election until after the PM had sought a Brexit extension.
What could happen when MPs return?
Boris Johnson resigns - Highly unlikely given his defiant reaction to the Supreme Court verdict
No-confidence vote - If a majority of MPs back it and no alternative prime minister who can command a majority emerges within 14 days then there will be a general election
Censure motion - A non-binding slap on the wrist for the prime minister allowing MPs to register their disapproval of his actions without triggering his removal or an election
Impeachment - Being talked about by some Labour MPs but highly unlikely. No British prime minister has ever been impeached - only ministers - and the last attempted impeachment of a minister was in 1806
Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson said Mr Johnson had shown he was "not fit to be prime minister" and should resign.
Former Justice Secretary David Gauke was among the MPs expelled from the Conservative Party by Mr Johnson for voting against his Brexit plans, but he said he would not be calling for the PM to resign or backing a no-confidence vote in him.
"I think the prime minister can survive," he told BBC News, but only if he apologised for "what was done earlier this month in terms of proroguing Parliament" and changes his Brexit strategy and sacks chief adviser Dominic Cummings.
Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson, who had been due to speak on Tuesday, said: "This is a momentous day.
"It's right that Jeremy closes the conference this afternoon. I'll be in London tomorrow (Wednesday) to hold our law-breaking prime minister to account. I'll save the speech I was going to make until next year."
But the prime minister did receive backing from US President Donald Trump, who said Mr Johnson was "not going anywhere".
Earlier, Mr Corbyn told activists Mr Johnson would become "the shortest-serving prime minister there has ever been" if he resigned.
He added: "So, obey the law, take no-deal [Brexit] off the table and have an election to elect a government that respects democracy, that respects the rule of law and brings power back to the people - not usurps it in the way that Boris Johnson has done."
At the end of Mr Corbyn's short statement, Labour delegates chanted "Johnson out".
There were emotional scenes outside the Supreme Court in London as opposition MPs and campaigners hailed the court's unanimous verdict.
The SNP's Joanna Cherry, who pursued the case through the Scottish courts, said it was an "absolutely momentous decision" that made Mr Johnson's position as prime minister "untenable".
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said: "Johnson must go and we must get back to work."
Businesswoman and campaigner Gina Miller, who challenged Mr Johnson's prorogation in the High Court, said the prime minister was not above the law.
She added: "MPs must get back and be brave and bold in holding this unscrupulous government to account."
Conservative former Prime Minister Sir John Major, who took part in the Supreme Court case, said; "No prime minister must ever treat the monarch or Parliament in this way again."
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage described the prime minister's decision to suspend Parliament as "the worst political decision ever" following the Supreme Court defeat.
He called for Mr Johnson's chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, to quit.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49810679
The Labour leader told his party's conference in Brighton the prime minister "has been found to have misled the country" and should step down.
The SNP and some Labour MPs said Mr Johnson could be ousted via a no-confidence vote, if he refused to go.
MPs will return to work on Wednesday at 11:30 BST after the court's ruling.
BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said one member of the government had joined calls for Mr Johnson to resign in the wake of the judgement, but, right now, that view was not widespread in the Conservative Party.
Mr Johnson suspended - or prorogued - Parliament for five weeks earlier this month, arguing it was necessary in order to hold a Queen's Speech and set out a new legislative programme.
But the court ruled it was wrong to stop MPs carrying out their duties in the run-up to Brexit on 31 October.
Supreme Court president Lady Hale said "the effect [of prorogation] on the fundamentals of democracy was extreme" and the government had provided no justification for it.
The PM has promised the UK will leave on 31 October, with or without a deal with the EU, but before the prorogation, Parliament passed a law intended to force a delay instead of allowing a no-deal exit.
It states that Mr Johnson has until 19 October to either pass a deal or get MPs to approve no deal - and if he fails, he must ask for an extension to the UK's departure date.
In a statement outside Parliament, Commons Speaker John Bercow said there would be no Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, but there would be scope for urgent questions, ministerial statements and emergency debate applications.
Opposition MPs say they plan to use the session to hold Mr Johnson to account for his actions - and potentially begin moves to oust him as prime minister.
Parliament twice rejected the prime minister's call for a general election earlier this month - under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, Mr Johnson needs the support of two-thirds of MPs to hold a snap poll.
While opposition MPs said at the time they did want an election, they insisted they must first be sure that no deal could not happen.
Now, however, the SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford has suggested the PM's opponents could not afford to wait.
"The opposition has to do its job - we need to remove him and we need do that through a motion of no confidence, leading to a general election," he said.
He continued: "It has to come quickly, we have to seize the moment, we cannot leave him in office, he has to be removed."
But Mr Corbyn, in his keynote speech at Labour's conference - brought forward from Wednesday to Tuesday so he could return to Westminster - said an election needed to take place "as soon as this government's threat of a disastrous no-deal is taken off the table".
"That condition is what MPs passed into law before Boris Johnson illegally closed down our Parliament," he said.
The BBC's political correspondent, Iain Watson, said despite the court ruling, Mr Corbyn had made clear he would not call a vote of no confidence to trigger an election until after the PM had sought a Brexit extension.
What could happen when MPs return?
Boris Johnson resigns - Highly unlikely given his defiant reaction to the Supreme Court verdict
No-confidence vote - If a majority of MPs back it and no alternative prime minister who can command a majority emerges within 14 days then there will be a general election
Censure motion - A non-binding slap on the wrist for the prime minister allowing MPs to register their disapproval of his actions without triggering his removal or an election
Impeachment - Being talked about by some Labour MPs but highly unlikely. No British prime minister has ever been impeached - only ministers - and the last attempted impeachment of a minister was in 1806
Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson said Mr Johnson had shown he was "not fit to be prime minister" and should resign.
Former Justice Secretary David Gauke was among the MPs expelled from the Conservative Party by Mr Johnson for voting against his Brexit plans, but he said he would not be calling for the PM to resign or backing a no-confidence vote in him.
"I think the prime minister can survive," he told BBC News, but only if he apologised for "what was done earlier this month in terms of proroguing Parliament" and changes his Brexit strategy and sacks chief adviser Dominic Cummings.
Labour's deputy leader Tom Watson, who had been due to speak on Tuesday, said: "This is a momentous day.
"It's right that Jeremy closes the conference this afternoon. I'll be in London tomorrow (Wednesday) to hold our law-breaking prime minister to account. I'll save the speech I was going to make until next year."
But the prime minister did receive backing from US President Donald Trump, who said Mr Johnson was "not going anywhere".
Earlier, Mr Corbyn told activists Mr Johnson would become "the shortest-serving prime minister there has ever been" if he resigned.
He added: "So, obey the law, take no-deal [Brexit] off the table and have an election to elect a government that respects democracy, that respects the rule of law and brings power back to the people - not usurps it in the way that Boris Johnson has done."
At the end of Mr Corbyn's short statement, Labour delegates chanted "Johnson out".
There were emotional scenes outside the Supreme Court in London as opposition MPs and campaigners hailed the court's unanimous verdict.
The SNP's Joanna Cherry, who pursued the case through the Scottish courts, said it was an "absolutely momentous decision" that made Mr Johnson's position as prime minister "untenable".
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said: "Johnson must go and we must get back to work."
Businesswoman and campaigner Gina Miller, who challenged Mr Johnson's prorogation in the High Court, said the prime minister was not above the law.
She added: "MPs must get back and be brave and bold in holding this unscrupulous government to account."
Conservative former Prime Minister Sir John Major, who took part in the Supreme Court case, said; "No prime minister must ever treat the monarch or Parliament in this way again."
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage described the prime minister's decision to suspend Parliament as "the worst political decision ever" following the Supreme Court defeat.
He called for Mr Johnson's chief adviser, Dominic Cummings, to quit.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49810679
The Viper
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Definitely- even worse than May.
PetroDollars
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not a fan of his but its stupid to wanting to sack a pm after he only got the job unless you have personal hatred for him.
as for brexit, then there are only two options which he has supported, no deal and leave that sh:t show EU or let the people decide by holding a general election and corby has rejected again, therefore the jokes on you Labour.
as for brexit, then there are only two options which he has supported, no deal and leave that sh:t show EU or let the people decide by holding a general election and corby has rejected again, therefore the jokes on you Labour.
PetroDollars
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I dnt think there is anything worse then a nation with a history of rich democracy denying the referendum results when the people have cast there votes
Carrying out the referendum result is one thing, trying to ram through a no deal is quite another.
A Prime Minister who has tried to shut down the mother of all democracies has egg on his face tonight. A unanimous verdict from the Supreme Court that Boris is a liar. He lied to the Queen and he lied to the country. And much like Trump, when his backs against the wall, he is now lying some more and trying to bring our sacred judiciary into question.
This man is trashing our democracy and he needs to be kicked out.
The trouble is that the alternative is Corbyn - YUK. Never did I think I'd see the day where in Great Britain, the choice faced by the electorate was either the extreme right or extreme left. What a sorry state of affairs.
Let me get this straight.
There's nothing worse than the leader of a nation with a rich history of democracy... attempting to stifle democracy and the sovereignty of Parliament and undermine the strength of its judiciary, the very grounds on which people voted in a non binding advisory referendum, to leave the EU to protect democracy and the sovereignty of Parliament???
This is why the nation is ****ed, not because of the EU. People don't even understand what is happening.
Back in the day, an English King prorogued Parliament for standing up to him, so he could rule without their oversight. Parliament kicked him out and replaced him with another King, invited in on the proviso that he should obediently follow what Parliament says. So historically what Johnson did was as bad as it gets in the last three hundred years or so of English/British history, and has resulted in deposed monarchs in the past who did what Johnson did.
PetroDollars
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well im not a fan of boris but he is just hell bent on getting the peoples verdict implemented.
The whole brexit drama has stretched way too far now and has made The UK a joke of a democracy. The egg is in the face of democracy and peoples rights.
It could be argued that the 2017 election is also the people's verdict, and more recent than the 2016 referendum. Historically it is Parliament which is representative of the people, so it's up to the government to work with the Parliament they have, or let someone else have a try. As the court ruling says, any government is only in power because of Parliament.
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Sacking him could trigger an election and play in the hands of the no deal guys - so not sure!
KingKhanWC
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He broke the law so should resign.
This man never wanted a deal as he has been talks with Trump. They are both working to help big companies not their own nations.
UK democracy has turned into a joke.
This man never wanted a deal as he has been talks with Trump. They are both working to help big companies not their own nations.
UK democracy has turned into a joke.
James
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Can Prime Ministers be sacked?
KingKhanWC
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He can be impeached but it would be the first in UK history.
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I guess vote of no confidence is almost that
KingKhanWC
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The problem is so many are scared of Jeremy Corbyn. Its a bit like when Imran and PTI struggled because all the corrupt opposition stood together. Pakistanis may be less educated overall but are far more politically smart compared to the Brit voters. Brits will wake up when the no-deal is confirmed, the £ plummets and they start to feel hungry.
If suspending Parliament was nothing to do with Brexit as Boris claims, why did he say the Supreme Court decision made it harder for him to do a Brexit deal ?
Also let's park Brexit aside for a moment. The Sunday Times revealed that a £126,000 Government grant was awarded to an American businesswoman, Jennifer Arcuri, meant for English based businesses.
Who is Jennifer Arcuri ? A former pole dancer turned tech form owner, and a friend of Boris Johnson who was a regular visitor to her flat.
When she applied for the grant she already moved back to the US ! They also report Arcuri was given preferential treatment in joining overseas trade missions led by Boris though her business had not met the eligibility criteria ! This alone is a sackable offence.
Also let's park Brexit aside for a moment. The Sunday Times revealed that a £126,000 Government grant was awarded to an American businesswoman, Jennifer Arcuri, meant for English based businesses.
Who is Jennifer Arcuri ? A former pole dancer turned tech form owner, and a friend of Boris Johnson who was a regular visitor to her flat.
When she applied for the grant she already moved back to the US ! They also report Arcuri was given preferential treatment in joining overseas trade missions led by Boris though her business had not met the eligibility criteria ! This alone is a sackable offence.
JaDed
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Trump doesn’t hold a candle to Boris’ personality.
Technics 1210
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Which law did he break?
Technics 1210
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You can find this sort of dirt on every politician. What's the point in such reporting? Oh no! Powerful politician calls in a favour! This sort of stuff doesn't stick anymore, not only is none of the above illegal, but readers are far more savvy then they used to be.
KingKhanWC
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Suspending parliament?
Robert
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He didn’t break any law with regard to the prorogation. He acted unlawfully, however. He had no constitutional right to prorogue Parliament, therefore it was not prorogued.
You could say his mislead the House which is theoretically a crime. That would have to be tested in court.
If he had any shame he would quit. But many of our leaders are shameless now. They have no moral code.
KingKhanWC
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Semantics. The baffoon is basically is a liar who is in power to work for the interests of rich people not the general public. If the people of this country want it to further go down the toilet, they are welcome to do so. Others will just move somewhere else.
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The fact what happened this week was unprecedented means there was no law that was broken. The hearing stated PM’s actions was unlawful. This means his actions did not confirm or were recognised by any existing law, which is different to a ruling stating his actions were illegal which means he broke a law.
This is precisely why the supreme court did not find any impunity in the Government’s motive.
Technics 1210
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He can prorogue again, this is how weak the SC decision is!
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Boris Johnson has told MPs the Supreme Court was "wrong to pronounce on a political question at a time of great national controversy".
And he urged smaller parties to table a vote of no confidence in his government to trigger a general election.
In extraordinary scenes, Tory MPs applauded as he goaded Jeremy Corbyn over his refusal to back an election.
Mr Corbyn told the PM he was "not fit for office" and should have resigned after the Supreme Court's verdict.
Other MPs also rounded on Mr Johnson for his lack of contrition following the unanimous defeat for the government in the court.
Labour's Rachel Reeves said Wednesday's events in Parliament had been "an horrendous spectacle". Her colleague, Jess Phillips, said the PM's response to the court judgement looked "horrendous" to the public and he should apologise.
The SNP's Joanna Cherry - who was one of the lawyers who led the court challenge against the suspension or "prorogation" - said the House had been "treated to the sort of populist rant one expects to hear from a tin-pot dictatorship".
The BBC's political editor said the Commons was "an absolute bear pit", with "so much vitriol on all sides".
Labour and the SNP have refused to vote for a general election until a no-deal Brexit has been taken off the table.
The PM was forced to cut short his visit to the UN in New York to return to the Commons after the UK's highest court ruled his decision to suspend Parliament was unlawful.
He said he "respected" the court's verdict, but did not think it should have ruled on a "political question".
And he dared opposition parties to "finally face the day of reckoning with the voters" in an election.
'Fancy a go'
Mr Johnson said: "I think the people outside this House understand what is happening.
"Out of sheer selfishness and political cowardice they are unwilling to move aside and let the people have a say. The Leader of the Opposition and his party don't trust the people.
"All that matters to them is an obsessive desire to overturn the referendum result."
He said Labour had "until the House rises today to table a motion of no confidence in the government, and we can have that vote tomorrow (Thursday)".
"Or if any of the other smaller parties fancy a go, table the motion, we'll give you time for that vote."
'End this dictatorship'
Tory MPs broke into sustained applause - something rarely seen in the Commons - after Mr Johnson's attack on the opposition leader, sparking anger on the Labour benches.
Labour has said it does not trust Mr Johnson to obey Parliament's instructions to request a delay to Brexit, which the PM has insisted will happen on 31 October, with or without a deal.
Mr Corbyn told the PM he should have "done the honourable thing and resigned" after the Supreme Court verdict.
"Quite simply, for the good of this country, he (Mr Johnson) should go," he told MPs.
"He says he wants a general election. I want a general election. It's very simple - if you want an election, get an extension and let's have an election."
The SNP's leader at Westminster, Ian Blackford said: "We cannot trust this prime minister, his time must be up. His days of lying, of cheating and of undermining the rule of law..."
Commons Speaker John Bercow asked Mr Blackford to withdraw the "lying" comment as it broke Commons rules.
Mr Blackford added: "Do the right thing and do it now, prime minister. End this dictatorship, will you now resign?"
Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson called on Mr Johnson to apologise to the Commons following the court judgement.
She later tweeted that the prime minister was an "utter disgrace" for responding to Labour MP Paula Sheriff's plea for him to stop using "inflammatory" words such as "surrender".
Mr Johnson replied to Ms Sheriff - who referred to the murder of MP Jo Cox during her intervention - by saying: "I've never heard such humbug in all my life."
Tracy Brabin, who was elected as MP for Batley and Spen after Mrs Cox was murdered, also urged the prime minister to moderate his language "so that we will all feel secure when we're going about our jobs".
Mr Johnson replied that "the best way to honour the memory of Jo Cox and indeed the best way to bring this country together would be, I think, to get Brexit done".
Unprecedented
Under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, the prime minister cannot call an election unless two-thirds of MPs back it, meaning the main opposition party has to back it.
But a motion of no confidence in the government only needs a majority of one - and could lead to a general election being held.
The government is under no obligation to give time to any call for a motion of confidence from anyone other than the leader of the opposition.
It is unprecedented for the government to voluntarily offer time to the opposition and smaller parties to debate such a motion.
Downing Street said it would assume MPs had confidence in the government and its Brexit strategy if opposition parties did not table a confidence vote later on Wednesday.
A spokesman for the prime minster said: "It's put up or shut up time."
'Disgrace'
But the spokesman would not say whether the PM would resign immediately if he lost a confidence vote - or whether a general election would take place if the government was brought down.
Attorney General Geoffrey Cox earlier faced questions about the advice he gave the PM indicating the five-week suspension would be within the law.
Mr Cox said he respected the Supreme Court's decision, but launched a blistering attack on MPs for being "too cowardly" to hold an election, adding: "This Parliament is dead."
Ms Cherry said Mr Cox was being "offered up as a fall guy for the government's plans" and urged him to publish the advice he gave.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49827803
And he urged smaller parties to table a vote of no confidence in his government to trigger a general election.
In extraordinary scenes, Tory MPs applauded as he goaded Jeremy Corbyn over his refusal to back an election.
Mr Corbyn told the PM he was "not fit for office" and should have resigned after the Supreme Court's verdict.
Other MPs also rounded on Mr Johnson for his lack of contrition following the unanimous defeat for the government in the court.
Labour's Rachel Reeves said Wednesday's events in Parliament had been "an horrendous spectacle". Her colleague, Jess Phillips, said the PM's response to the court judgement looked "horrendous" to the public and he should apologise.
The SNP's Joanna Cherry - who was one of the lawyers who led the court challenge against the suspension or "prorogation" - said the House had been "treated to the sort of populist rant one expects to hear from a tin-pot dictatorship".
The BBC's political editor said the Commons was "an absolute bear pit", with "so much vitriol on all sides".
Labour and the SNP have refused to vote for a general election until a no-deal Brexit has been taken off the table.
The PM was forced to cut short his visit to the UN in New York to return to the Commons after the UK's highest court ruled his decision to suspend Parliament was unlawful.
He said he "respected" the court's verdict, but did not think it should have ruled on a "political question".
And he dared opposition parties to "finally face the day of reckoning with the voters" in an election.
'Fancy a go'
Mr Johnson said: "I think the people outside this House understand what is happening.
"Out of sheer selfishness and political cowardice they are unwilling to move aside and let the people have a say. The Leader of the Opposition and his party don't trust the people.
"All that matters to them is an obsessive desire to overturn the referendum result."
He said Labour had "until the House rises today to table a motion of no confidence in the government, and we can have that vote tomorrow (Thursday)".
"Or if any of the other smaller parties fancy a go, table the motion, we'll give you time for that vote."
'End this dictatorship'
Tory MPs broke into sustained applause - something rarely seen in the Commons - after Mr Johnson's attack on the opposition leader, sparking anger on the Labour benches.
Labour has said it does not trust Mr Johnson to obey Parliament's instructions to request a delay to Brexit, which the PM has insisted will happen on 31 October, with or without a deal.
Mr Corbyn told the PM he should have "done the honourable thing and resigned" after the Supreme Court verdict.
"Quite simply, for the good of this country, he (Mr Johnson) should go," he told MPs.
"He says he wants a general election. I want a general election. It's very simple - if you want an election, get an extension and let's have an election."
The SNP's leader at Westminster, Ian Blackford said: "We cannot trust this prime minister, his time must be up. His days of lying, of cheating and of undermining the rule of law..."
Commons Speaker John Bercow asked Mr Blackford to withdraw the "lying" comment as it broke Commons rules.
Mr Blackford added: "Do the right thing and do it now, prime minister. End this dictatorship, will you now resign?"
Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson called on Mr Johnson to apologise to the Commons following the court judgement.
She later tweeted that the prime minister was an "utter disgrace" for responding to Labour MP Paula Sheriff's plea for him to stop using "inflammatory" words such as "surrender".
Mr Johnson replied to Ms Sheriff - who referred to the murder of MP Jo Cox during her intervention - by saying: "I've never heard such humbug in all my life."
Tracy Brabin, who was elected as MP for Batley and Spen after Mrs Cox was murdered, also urged the prime minister to moderate his language "so that we will all feel secure when we're going about our jobs".
Mr Johnson replied that "the best way to honour the memory of Jo Cox and indeed the best way to bring this country together would be, I think, to get Brexit done".
Unprecedented
Under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, the prime minister cannot call an election unless two-thirds of MPs back it, meaning the main opposition party has to back it.
But a motion of no confidence in the government only needs a majority of one - and could lead to a general election being held.
The government is under no obligation to give time to any call for a motion of confidence from anyone other than the leader of the opposition.
It is unprecedented for the government to voluntarily offer time to the opposition and smaller parties to debate such a motion.
Downing Street said it would assume MPs had confidence in the government and its Brexit strategy if opposition parties did not table a confidence vote later on Wednesday.
A spokesman for the prime minster said: "It's put up or shut up time."
'Disgrace'
But the spokesman would not say whether the PM would resign immediately if he lost a confidence vote - or whether a general election would take place if the government was brought down.
Attorney General Geoffrey Cox earlier faced questions about the advice he gave the PM indicating the five-week suspension would be within the law.
Mr Cox said he respected the Supreme Court's decision, but launched a blistering attack on MPs for being "too cowardly" to hold an election, adding: "This Parliament is dead."
Ms Cherry said Mr Cox was being "offered up as a fall guy for the government's plans" and urged him to publish the advice he gave.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49827803
Robert
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Not semantics, law.
He isn’t a buffoon. That’s all an act. He knows exactly what he is doing. I thought of him as an intellectually lazy chancer who had got to high office through extraordinary circumstances and by being a bit of a card and telling a few jokes.
But after his ‘humbug’ comment to the impassioned Paula Sherriff MP I realise that he has no moral sense whatsoever.
I had thought that the choice between Johnson and Corbyn was impossible as both are equally incompetent but now I realise it is a choice between an incompetent Opposition leader and a PM who is actual evil. So incompetent (yet with some sort of moral sense) it must be.
Boris's "buffoon" act was worn threadbare a long time ago. And most everyone knew that he was utterly unscrupulous with no morals, principles or a truthful bone in his body. I would say Alan B'Staad-B'Staad but that guy was actually funny and fairly harmless.
More to the point, after the forthcoming election, I can only hope that a combination of Labour, Lib Dems & Scots Nats can form a coalition government, preferably with a PM who is not called Jeremy - my choice would have been Yvette Cooper or Sadiq - and then we can merrily proceed to another referendum.
And this time let's hope that the young with their whole futures at stake come out to vote at the same rate as the embittered oldies.
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Boris Johnson will send a letter to the EU asking for a Brexit delay if no deal is agreed by 19 October, according to government papers submitted to a Scottish court.
The document was revealed as campaigners sought a ruling forcing the PM to comply with the law.
Their QC said the submission contradicted statements by the prime minister last week in Parliament.
But Downing Street said the UK would still be leaving the EU on 31 October.
The so-called Benn Act - named after Labour MP Hilary Benn who spearheaded its passage into law - requires the government to request an extension to the 31 October Brexit deadline if a deal has not been signed off by Parliament by 19 October.
A senior Downing Street source said: "The government will comply with the Benn Act, which only imposes a very specific narrow duty concerning Parliament's letter requesting a delay - drafted by an unknown subset of MPs and pro-EU campaigners - and which can be interpreted in different ways.
"But the government is not prevented by the Act from doing other things that cause no delay, including other communications, private and public.
"People will have to wait to see how this is reconciled. The government is making its true position on delay known privately in Europe and this will become public soon."
Any extension to the Article 50 process - the mechanism taking the UK out of the EU - would have to be agreed by all 27 other EU leaders.
Mr Johnson has said he would rather be "dead in a ditch" than ask for a delay.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49936352
The document was revealed as campaigners sought a ruling forcing the PM to comply with the law.
Their QC said the submission contradicted statements by the prime minister last week in Parliament.
But Downing Street said the UK would still be leaving the EU on 31 October.
The so-called Benn Act - named after Labour MP Hilary Benn who spearheaded its passage into law - requires the government to request an extension to the 31 October Brexit deadline if a deal has not been signed off by Parliament by 19 October.
A senior Downing Street source said: "The government will comply with the Benn Act, which only imposes a very specific narrow duty concerning Parliament's letter requesting a delay - drafted by an unknown subset of MPs and pro-EU campaigners - and which can be interpreted in different ways.
"But the government is not prevented by the Act from doing other things that cause no delay, including other communications, private and public.
"People will have to wait to see how this is reconciled. The government is making its true position on delay known privately in Europe and this will become public soon."
Any extension to the Article 50 process - the mechanism taking the UK out of the EU - would have to be agreed by all 27 other EU leaders.
Mr Johnson has said he would rather be "dead in a ditch" than ask for a delay.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49936352
Robert
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Concur on the GNU led by Cooper, or perhaps Harriet Harman. Sadiq would have to be re-elected as a MP. But the fly in the ointment as Corbyn - the Tory rebs won't vote for him, and Jo Swinson is going to pick up more constituencies from Tory hands than Labour so she can't afford to alienate the soft right vote by leaning to Corbyn.
Of course the embittered oldies are passing on while more young Remainers are reaching age of majority.
Robert
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Not without the Sovereign's agreement, and I very much doubt she will agree after he allegedly misled her before.
James
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It’s already been agreed I think.
Parliament will close on Tuesday night and then we will have a Queen’s Speech the following Monday.
Prorogation is a perfectly legal and normal convention, a fact that Gina Miller and the Supreme Court agree with; but the problem with the Johnson-Cummings-Mogg prorogation is that it was put into place for a bizarre 5 weeks, instead of the usual few days.
It was certainly a colossal misfire from the government. I am frankly not particularly interested in whether it was right/wrong, moral/immoral, lawful/unlawful, acceptable/radical - from the start I called it simply unnecessary.
As has been demonstrated in the last couple of weeks - since Parliament has come back - there has been extremely sparse attendance, it has been mostly boring, and they have got next to nothing done; the exact same as the last three years of uselessness since the Referendum - it would have been much of the same had Parliament never been closed down in the first place, and Boris could have avoided all of the negative publicity.
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