LONDON, Sept 26 (NNN-AGENCIES) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson challenged opposition MPs to call a confidence vote in his government, in a defiant response to the Supreme Court decision to strike down his suspension of parliament.
Britain’s highest court on Tuesday found the Conservative leader acted illegally in suspending, or proroguing, parliament for five weeks in the run-up to Brexit.
But Johnson showed no contrition as he faced the newly reconvened House of Commons, and repeated his determination to leave the European Union on Oct 31 with or without a deal with Brussels.
To huge cheers from his Conservative MPs, he condemned the court ruling as “wrong”.
Faced with calls to resign, he instead challenged Labour and other opposition parties to call a confidence vote in his government, saying he would make time for a vote on Thursday.
“Will they have the courage to act or will they refuse to take responsibility and do nothing but dither and delay … what are they scared of?” he said.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called on Johnson to resign, saying: “he is not fit for the office that he holds”.
But he said he would not back an election until the prime minister’s threat of leaving the EU without a divorce deal was removed.
In the week before parliament was suspended earlier this month, MPs passed a law requiring Johnson ask the EU to delay Brexit if he cannot get a deal.
“If he wants an election, get an extension and let’s have an election,” Corbyn said.
Johnson, who only took office in July, says he suspended parliament for five weeks until Oct 14 to launch a fresh legislative programme.
On Tuesday, 11 Supreme Court judges unanimously ruled that Johnson’s decision to advice Queen Elizabeth II to suspend parliament was unlawful.
They said the effect had been to frustrate parliament, and declared the suspension void.
The Supreme Court ruling comes after a series of defeats in parliament for Johnson, the most damaging of which was the law designed to avoid a “no deal” Brexit.
Johnson continues to insist he will leave the EU on Oct 31, but unless he finds a loophole in the law, he can only do this by getting a deal.
He is seeking to amend the terms struck by his predecessor Theresa May, which were rejected by MPs three times – and insists he is making progress.
He suggested on Wednesday that an alternative to the hated “backstop” plan for the Northern Irish border was taking shape which would not trap Britain in the EU’s customs union indefinitely.
However, EU leaders are not as optimistic. — NNN-AGENCIES