Queen could be asked to suspend parliament on Wednesday

LONDON: Britain’s Queen Elizabeth could be asked as early as Wednesday to agree to suspend parliament, senior BBC journalist Nick Robinson said on Twitter.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has refused to rule out suspending, or proroguing parliament, to prevent it from blocking his plans to take Britain out of the European Union by Oct. 31.

“Hearing that the Queen could be asked to agree to prorogue parliament as early as today,” Robinson, the former BBC political editor, said. “She’s in Balmoral. Would be done by Order in Council. Only one source. Not confirmed. Watch this space.”

Johnson plans to restrict parliament time before Brexit

Britain’s government will seek to extend the period during which parliament does not normally sit, shutting it for around a month until Oct. 14, as part of a drive to prevent politicians from derailing its Brexit plan.

The move, also reported by the Guardian, limits the amount of parliamentary time available to lawmakers who want to prevent Prime Minister Boris Johnson from leaving the EU without an exit deal.

Johnson’s office did not immediately comment on the reports, which caused the pound to fall.

It comes a day after lawmakers who are opposed to a so-called no-deal Brexit met to discuss ways they could use parliamentary procedure to force Johnson to seek a delay to Brexit.

A meeting about the government’s move to limit parliamentary time was due to take place at Queen Elizabeth’s Scottish summer residence in Balmoral on Wednesday, the Guardian’s political editor, Heather Stewart, said on Twitter.

“Suggestion from more than one source of a Privy Council meeting at Balmoral today, to discuss/agree extending the conference recess until 14 October,” Stewart said.

Buckingham Palace declined to comment.