The Monarchy (Powers) and UK in Peril

MPs in opposition went for the soft option, the one that was most practical of course, to prevent a no deal. They may still do this, but it would need instant action. There is not a formal process to stop a proroguing of Parliament, because it is a monarchic power held by a current Prime Minister via the Privy Council.

This is the reason why, just as with the Fixed-term Parliaments Act, this monarchic power will have to be changed to Statute law. The reason is simple: to prorogue (instead of suspend for party conferences - there is a difference because in suspension debating stops but committees and questioning of ministers can continue) and for such a long period before a Queen's Speech is a declaration of war on the totality of the Constitution.

My argument was, and still is, that power had to be taken from Boris Johnson, and now he has played a card that shows precisely why control must be taken from him.

This act of his could well destroy the Union and even the monarchy itself. Scotland won't have it, the North of Ireland/ Northern Ireland won't have it, and sufficient Conservative MPs realise the significance and danger of this. We have Ruth Davidson, Scottish Conservatives Party Leader, considering her position in Scotland and this is a huge development. This means Scottish Tory MPs, of course, as well as MSPs in Scotland.

The argument that this is 'normal' is, of course, bogus. There is nothing normal in this. This is an attack on parliamentary democracy. Philip Hammond MP, the former Chancellor, said that Tories agreeing with him were prepared to wait for Angela Merkel's thirty days to propose anything, but now they cannot thanks to this proroguing of Parliament that he calls profoundly undemocratic. And this is the point: this action of a 'tinpot dictator' makes the compromises going about less and less available.

The opposition had a good meeting the previous day and this has now to be built upon. We need the independents and Change UK among them to get on board. They need Jo Swinson in particular to persuade them on this. They might still have time to change legislation, but the government may simply break the law and force legal action afterwards when it is too late. One legislative route is a Humble Address, passed by both Houses of Parliament, that asks the Monarch to reverse the proroguing decision.

We need to get established - and it is not - that a referendum does not trump Parliament. Sovereignty lies in Parliament, and the Act that allowed the referendum made it clear that it was advisory. The monarch's powers in a Prime Minister after all this passes must be curtailed, and this action of this Prime Minister must be stopped or the Union of the United Kingdom has had it.