Unlawful for PM to suspend UK Parliament

Govt's worst-case no-deal Brexit plan warns of food shortages, public disorder

LONDON - A Scottish court dealt another blow to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit plans on Wednesday, ruling that his decision to suspend Parliament less than two months before the United Kingdom is due to leave the European Union was an unlawful attempt to avoid democratic scrutiny.

The government immediately said it would appeal to the Supreme Court, as the political opposition demanded Johnson reverse the suspension and recall lawmakers to Parliament. Parliament will remain suspended at least until the appeal is heard.

With Brexit due in 50 days, the court ruling deepened Britain's political deadlock. Johnson insists the country must leave the EU on Oct 31, with or without a divorce deal to smooth the way. But many lawmakers fear a no-deal Brexit would be economically devastating, and are determined to stop him.

Their case got a boost late on Wednesday as the government gave in to a demand from lawmakers and published a document showing that a hard exit could lead to logjams for freight, shortages of some foods and medicines, major travel disruptions and rioting. And cross-English Channel traffic could be severely hit for up to three months.

The release of this so-called Yellow Hammer worst-case assumptions was the day's second setback for Johnson and followed the surprise judgment by Scotland's highest civil court. The count found that the government's action suspending lawmakers was illegal "because it had the purpose of stymieing Parliament".

Johnson claims he shut down the legislature this week so that he can start afresh on his domestic agenda at a new session of Parliament, slated to begin Oct. 14. But the five-week suspension also gives him a respite from rebellious lawmakers as he plots his next move to break the political impasse over Brexit and lead Britain out of the EU by Oct 31, "do or die".

But a panel of three Court of Session judges in Edinburgh said: "The only inference that could be drawn was that the UK government and the prime minister wished to restrict Parliament."

One of the judges, Philip Brodie, said it appeared the suspension was intended "to allow the executive to pursue a policy of a no-deal Brexit without further parliamentary interference".

The judges declared the suspension "null and of no effect", but said Britain's Supreme Court must make the final decision at a hearing starting on Tuesday.

Johnson denied he was being anti-democratic.

"If opposition members of Parliament disagree with our approach, then it is always open to them to take up the offer that I've made twice now - twice! - that we should have an election," he said in an online question-and-answer session. "There is nothing more democratic in this country than a general election."

Queen was 'misled'

Opposition politicians, however, insisted that the government must recall Parliament. Lawmakers were sent home on Tuesday despite the objections of House of Commons Speaker John Bercow and opposition lawmakers, who held up signs in the chamber saying "Silenced".

"He should do the right thing now, which is to reopen Parliament, let us back to do our job and to decide what to do next," said Labour Party Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer.

Dominic Grieve, one of 21 lawmakers kicked out of the Conservative group in Parliament by Johnson last week after their votes helped to defeat his bills, said it was possible the prime minister had misled Queen Elizabeth - whose formal approval is needed to suspend Parliament - about his motives.

He said if that turned out to be true, the prime minister would have to "resign - and very swiftly".

The Scottish court ruling came after more than 70 opposition lawmakers challenged the government's decision to shut down Parliament for five weeks. When MPs return, there will only be two weeks remained for Britain is due to leave the EU.

Last week, a court in Edinburgh rejected the lawmakers' challenge, saying it was a matter for politicians, not the courts, to decide. But that was overturned on Wednesday on appeal.

The British government has noted that another challenge to the parliamentary suspension, brought by transparency campaigner Gina Miller, was already rejected at the High Court in London last week by judges who said the decision was inherently political and "not a matter for the courts".

Agencies