The Queen Approves a Suspension of Parliament amid Brexit Controversy

• At the request of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Queen Elizabeth II has agreed to prorogue Parliament, suspending the function of the legislative body for five weeks.
• The move brings the monarch closer to the Brexit controversy, which has been rumbling in Parliament for months.
• Parliament has until October 31 to prevent a no-deal Brexit. This suspension severely cuts back the time opposition lawmakers can work on a deal. If Brexit goes through without a deal, it could spell disaster for the British economy.

Yesterday, Queen Elizabeth II approved Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s request to prorogue, or suspend, Parliament. The move comes at a heightened moment of controversy, in which the monarch teeters on the brink of entering a national political maelstrom.

The suspension cuts down the legislative body’s session by five weeks, impeding lawmakers’ abilities to prevent a no-deal Brexit. Parliament has until Halloween to keep the nation from exiting the European Union without a deal; if no deal is made, Brexit could have disastrous economic consequences for the United Kingdom. 

The prime minister, however, has denied that he requested a Parliamentary suspension specifically to force through a no-deal Brexit. “The decision to end the current parliamentary session—the longest in close to 400 years and in recent months one of the least active—will enable the Prime Minister to put a fresh domestic program in front of [members of Parliament] for debate and scrutiny while also ensuring that there is good time before and after the European Council for Parliament to further consider Brexit issues,” Downing Street said in a released statement.