page_title: 2019 British prorogation controversy
section_title: Loss of working majority
hierarchical_section_title: 2019 British prorogation controversy / Prorogation / Loss of working majority
caption_attribution_description: English: Rt Hon John Bercow MP announces his retirement as Speaker of the House of Commons
context_page_description: On 28 August 2019, the Parliament of the United Kingdom was ordered to be prorogued by Queen Elizabeth II upon the advice of the Conservative prime minister, Boris Johnson, advice later ruled to be unlawful. The prorogation, or suspension, of Parliament was to be effective from between 9 and 12 September 2019 and last until the State Opening of Parliament on 14 October 2019; in the event, Parliament was suspended between 10 September and 24 September. Since Parliament was to be prorogued for five weeks and reconvene just 17 days before the United Kingdom's scheduled departure from the European Union on 31 October 2019, the move was seen by many opposition politicians and political commentators as a controversial and unconstitutional attempt by the prime minister to avoid parliamentary scrutiny of the Government's Brexit plans in those final weeks leading up to Brexit. Johnson and his Government defended the prorogation of Parliament as a routine political process that ordinarily follows the selection of a new prime minister and would allow the Government to refocus on a legislative agenda.
context_section_description: Upon Parliament's return on 3 September 2019, Conservative MP and "no-deal" opponent Oliver Letwin made an emergency motion to introduce a bill which sought to delay Brexit past 31 October. The motion would allow backbench control of the timetable for 4 September to pass, in one day, what would become the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act 2019. Letwin was successful due to the rebellion of 21 Conservative MPs who were subsequently suspended from the party; coupled with the defection of Phillip Lee to the Liberal Democrats, Johnson lost his working majority on his second day in Parliament as prime minister. The Government then attempted to filibuster the bill in the House of Lords to prevent the bill's passage before prorogation; the Government later discontinued the filibuster and allowed the bill to pass the Lords on 6 September, and subsequently receive Royal Assent on 9 September.
  After the bill's passage into law, Johnson reiterated his commitment to ensure the UK's withdrawal from the EU took place on 31 October; this sparked speculation he could be imprisoned for contempt of court or otherwise removed from office for failing to uphold the law. The Government also attempted twice to trigger an early general election, on 6 September and 9 September; both attempts failed, as opposition parties refused to support a motion on the basis it would dissolve Parliament and similarly make it unable to prevent a no-deal Brexit. On 9 September 2019, the House of Commons voted 311–302 for a humble address for a return to force the Government to turn over, within 48 hours, all communications within the Prime Minister's Office related to prorogation as well as publish all documents related to no-deal preparations under Operation Yellowhammer. In Westminster Hall, MPs debated two e-petitions: one supported prorogation and garnered 100,000 signatures before being closed; and one opposed prorogation and garnered 1.7 million signatures in several weeks. On the same day, Bercow announced his resignation as Speaker, effective 31 October 2019, amidst speculation the Conservatives would break the tradition of not standing against the Speaker at the next general election; his resignation beforehand triggered a speakership election in which the Government would find it difficult to install a friendlier Speaker.
caption: MPs applaud Bercow as he sets the date for his retirement.
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