Boris Johnson returns for Commons showdown over botched attempt to suspend Parliament

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Boris Johnson landed at Heathrow this morning ahead of a showdown in Westminster over his botched attempt to suspend Parliament.

MPs will sit in the Commons from 11.30am, after Speaker John Bercow called them back after the PM's prorogation was deemed unlawful.

The PM said he respected the Supreme Court decision, which was unanimously backed by 11 justices, even though he disagreed with it.

Despite that he boarded a red eye flight from New York, where he had been attending a UN assembly, back to London to join MPs in Westminster.

The convoy with Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves Heathrow Airport (REUTERS/Peter Nicholls)
REUTERS

Mr Johnson landed at around 10.30am today and he has since left in a police convoy.

As his convoy was driven towards Westminster, MPs were gathering at the reconvened House of Commons.

He is set to face extreme scrutiny from Parliamentarians, with opposition calls for him to resign from his position.

However, sources in Number 10 have said he will not quit his post, while he has vowed to fight on and have Britain leave the EU by the Halloween Brexit deadline.

Boris Johnson is facing calls to resign from his role as PM
AFP/Getty Images

Opposition members yesterday suggested they would request a statement from the PM to the House - and it has since been reported he intends to give one.

A spokeswoman for the House of Commons told the Standard urgent questions will come first, followed by ministerial statements.

However, exact details of these are yet to be confirmed.

Among key developments today:

  • Dame Margaret Beckett, a former foreign secretary and ex-deputy Labour leader, emerged as a frontrunner to become a caretaker prime minister in a government of national unity with cross-party backing.
  • A November general election is being sought by senior Labour figures. Party leader Jeremy Corbyn ruled out calling a snap general election in October in order to make sure a no-deal Brexit is taken off the table first.
  • Rory Stewart, the former Tory leadership contender, piled pressure on Mr Johnson to quit, saying: “I think in his position I would resign.”
  • Cabinet minister Michael Gove said he disagreed with yesterday’s damning judgment of the Supreme Court that overturned the prorogation of Parliament — but said he had “respect” for it.  He added that he “did not recognise” remarks reportedly made by Jacob Rees-Mogg that the judgment amounted to a “constitutional coup”.
  • Mr Corbyn called for an apology to both the Queen and the British public. “He clearly has abused the power he has in the royal prerogative and attempted to close down Parliament,” he said. “I think he should apologise to her [the Queen] for the advice he gave her but, more importantly, apologise to the British people for what he’s done in trying to shut down our democracy at a very crucial time.”

MPs started gathering at the Commons from dawn, many in a carnival mood. Labour MPs packed early-morning trains from Brighton where their annual party conference was cut short.

Shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Peter Dowd tweeted: “Off to Brighton station shortly to return to Parliament — courtesy of the Supreme Court.”

Steve Baker, a Tory Brexiteer and chairman of the Eurosceptic European Research Group, said: “Delighted to be back. I’m confident this will be a busy day in the Commons despite the, um, abridged agenda...”

They arrived to find a blank Order Paper — but soon began filling it with demands for ministers to be hauled to the House to explain themselves over the crisis that broke out while Parliament was prorogued. Five oral statements were expected, including on Brexit readiness and Operation Yellowhammer from Mr Gove, who is in charge of no-deal planning, and the repatriation operation after the collapse of Thomas Cook from Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. Most importantly, there was a request from the Opposition for an “update to Parliament” from the Prime Minister himself.

Mr Stewart was the strongest Tory critic of Mr Johnson. “I’m horrified that a Conservative leader has now been found to be flouting the constitution by the Supreme Court and he should, as a Conservative, be showing respect for those courts,” he told ITV’s Good Morning Britain.

Mr Stewart was one of 21 Tory MPs stripped of the whip for paving the way for an anti-no deal Bill. Former justice secretary David Gauke, another of the Tory 21, said the PM must apologise but did not seek his resignation.

Britain's Prime Minster Boris Johnson arrives at 10 Downing Street
AP

Meanwhile, in an interview on Tuesday morning, Mr Corbyn told the BBC: "I think he should apologise to her (the Queen) for the advice he gave her but, more importantly, apologise to the British people for what he's done in trying to shut down our democracy at a very crucial time when people are very, very worried about what will happen on October 31."

A Government source said the PM had spoken to the Queen - though would not detail the contents of their conversation.

Mr Johnson meanwhile has said he still wants to go ahead with a new Queen's Speech setting out the Government's legislative programme - his stated reason for seeking a prorogation.

His comments suggest that he could potentially seek another prorogation - something he has not ruled out.

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