John Major, who served as British PM and leader of the Conservative Party from 1990 to 1997, stated on Wednesday that he would pursue legal means to prevent the new head of the UK government from delivering a no-deal Brexit by suspending Parliament.
"In order to close down parliament the prime minister would have to go to her Majesty the Queen and ask for her permission to prorogue”, he said. "If her first minister asks for that permission it is almost inconceivable that the queen will do anything other than grant it... She is then in the midst of a constitutional controversy that no serious politician should put the queen in the middle of", Major stressed.
The politician also warned that the Brexit deadline, scheduled for 31 October, may become a disaster for UK businesses if companies are not ready for it. According to him, it was a mistake to set a fixed date for the country to leave the European Union, because London can't be sure when the right time is.
Journalist: 'Not Within the Negotiating Power of Boris Johnson' to Deliver Brexit in October https://t.co/7Yd5aOPdOD pic.twitter.com/P1H7sS7VZw
— Andy Vermaut (@AndyVermaut) July 10, 2019
Major's stance on the issue comes after Tory frontrunner Boris Johnson refused to rule out the possibility of suspending Parliament in order to deliver Brexit on time – with or without a deal.
The next UK PM is poised to be announced on 23 July, with Johnson having the upper hand over current Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt.
