John Bercow has warned Boris Johnson against disobeying the law by not asking for a Brexit delay
It comes after the prime minister denied lying to the Queen over the suspension of parliament, insisting such claims were “absolutely not” true.
Earlier on Thursday, Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon claimed the title of the Yellowhammer document, seen by her Holyrood government, was changed before its release by Downing Street on Wednesday night.
Mr Johnson is under renewed pressure to reopen parliament after the dossier revealed the “unprecedented” scale of the problems the nation could face in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Good morning and welcome to The Independent's live coverage of events at Westminster and beyond.
Former Tory attorney general Dominic Grieve has accused the government of “trashing the constitution” and says the level of disruption set out in the Yellowhammer papers is “unprecedented”.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr Grieve said: “The government is conducting itself in a thoroughly un-Conservative way, trashing the constitution and letting out, saying the most extraordinary things, including allowing No 10 to launch attacks on the judiciary until they were stopped by the Lord Chancellor.”
Grieve added: “This is a government which, in peace time, is content on inflicting on the British public the level of disruption which is set out in the Yellowhammer papers.
“It is unprecedented. I can't think of an occasion where I have seen something of this kind before … Even if we are ready for a no-deal Brexit, this is highly disruptive and costly.”
Shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald said parliament should be recalled so the PM can answer questions in relation to Yellowhammer, which he said is more like planning for “war or a natural disaster”.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mr McDonald said: “It reveals an absolute catastrophe for our country if he continues to drive the ship towards the rocks as he is going to do."
He added: “This is more like emergency planning for war or a natural disaster. We cannot minimise this. It does not get more stark and we have got to wake up to the issues around us.”
McDonald also said Labour wants to stop a no-deal Brexit and gain an extension to Article 50. He said when an extension is obtained, Labour would favour a general election. He also said the public would be offered a referendum with a “credible deal” opposite a Remain option.
A civil servants’ union has written to Boris Johnson seeking assurances Whitehall staff will not be asked to break the law during his manoeuvrings on Brexit.
With Downing Street insisting the government will not comply with an act designed to avoid a no-deal Brexit, the FDA has written to its members saying senior civil servants might be forced to break the law – and may be prosecuted if they help the PM defy the will of parliament.
The letter from FDA general secretary Dave Penman tells Johnson of “increasing consternation” among civil servants. Penman told Mr Johnson that Brexit had been a “lightning rod for attacks on the civil service”.
Prominent figures who “seek to further their own political agenda” had been prepared to sacrifice public confidence in the service through "baseless allegations of bias" and other attempts to undermine its integrity.
“As prime minister and therefore Minister for the Civil Service, civil servants look to you to defend these principles,” Penman wrote, “but increasingly over the last few weeks the greatest concern for civil servants has come from the very office that is meant to be at the frontline of its defence”.
Boris Johnson failed to address allegations that he misled the Queen as he appeared in public for the first time since a court ruled his suspension of parliament was unlawful.
All the details of his 15-minute “People’s PMQs” event here.
Boris Johnson avoids MP questions about misleading Queen to appear on Facebook
Prime minister was due to face up to two and a half hours of MPs' questions if parliament had not been suspendedFormer Tory home secretary Amber Rudd said she will not join another party, and will stand as an independent Conservative if the Tory whip has not been restored to her before a general election.
Rudd told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I am a Conservative, and if it comes to a general election in the short term, although of course none of us know when that might be, if I am not back with the Conservative whip, then I am likely to fight as an independent Conservative and I am looking at options at the moment.”
She added: “I will not be fighting for another party. I hope to be fighting as a Conservative, and, if not, with up to 20 people as an independent Conservative, depending on whether or not the whip has been returned.”
There are reports this morning that the chief whip has written to the 21 Tory rebels offering an “olive branch” and a way back into the party so long as they play by the rules.
Intriguingly, Rudd also said Theresa May’s government had considered proroguing parliament, but had rejected the idea as “the wrong approach”.
Asked about the current suspension, she said: “I am surprised, and I think it is a very un-Conservative thing to be doing.”
Boris Johnson is under renewed pressure to recall parliament after the Yellowhammer papers revealed the “unprecedented” scale of what the nation could face in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer said: “These documents confirm the severe risks of a no deal Brexit, which Labour has worked so hard to block.
“It is also now more important than ever that Parliament is recalled and has the opportunity to scrutinise these documents and take all steps necessary to stop no deal.”
Our political editor has looked through the official assessments forced out of the government last night.
Official no-deal Brexit document confirms government planning for delays, disruption and disorder
Operation Yellowhammer report forced out of government by MPs confirms leaks which ministers had dismissed as outdatedThe government may have released the Yellowhammer dossier, but it has refused to release the No 10 communications demanded by MPs.
Government ignores order to release key Brexit documents and internal messages
Ministers condemn 'unprecedented, inappropriate, and disproportionate' request and claim that releasing advisers' messages on decision to suspend parliament would be illegalCabinet minister Kwasi Kwarteng is coming in for a lot of flak after suggesting “many people” believed the courts were biased in relation to Brexit.
Our correspondent Ashley Cowburn has the details.
Fury as Tory Cabinet minister claims 'many people' believe judges are biased over Brexit after prorogation ruling
'Many people up and down the country, are beginning to question the partiality of judges'In case you were wondering what Nigel Farage thought of the Whitehall no-deal impacts dossier. I’m sure he’s read it in full.
In case you thought we had to wait until Tuesday’s Supreme Court hearing for more legal fun, a judgment is due today in a legal challenge in Northern Ireland arguing that the government’s Brexit strategy will damage the peace process.
Michael Gove, the minister in charge of no deal-planning, and Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay chair committee on Brexit preparations at lunchtime. And John McDonnell will launch a report a report on how to achieve shorter working hours.
The Home Office is making the “hostile environment” worse for EU citizens ahead of Britain’s departure from the European Union, the European Parliament is to warn.
A leaked draft resolution seen by The Independent shows that the EU legislature is preparing to express its “grave concern” at the chaotic approach of the government.
Our Europe correspondent Jon Stone has the details.
Home Office making hostile environment for EU citizens worse, European Parliament warns
EU legislature demands review and replacement of settlement schemeHere’s that remarkable interview with cabinet minister Kwasi Kwarteng – in which he said “many people up and down the country, are beginning to question the partiality of judges”.
Thom Brooks, professor of law and government at Durham, thinks the Court of Session ruling means Boris Johnson must step down.
“The main reason for handing the keys to No 10 back to the Queen is that finding today that he misled Her Majesty,” he writes.
Read more here:
Opinion: The courts have left a flailing Boris Johnson with only one constitutional option – he must resign
The prime minister has had the rug well and truly pulled out from under him and parliament should be reconvened immediately
BREAKING: Boris Johnson has denied lying to the Queen over the suspension of parliament.
The PM asked whether he lied to the monarch after the Court of Session in Edinburgh said advice given by ministers to the Queen which led to the five-week prorogation was “unlawful”, said: “Absolutely not. The High Court in England plainly agrees with us but the Supreme Court will have to decide.
“We need a Queen’s Speech, we need to get on and do all sorts of things at a national level.”
He added: “Parliament will have time both before and after that crucial summit on October 17th and 18th to talk about the Brexit deal.
“I’m very hopeful that we will get a deal, as I say, at that crucial summit. We're working very hard - I've been around the European capitals talking to our friends
“I think we can see the rough area of a landing space, of how you can do it - it will be tough, it will be hard, but I think we can get there.”
Johnson made the comments as he visited NLV Pharos, a lighthouse tender, which is moored alongside HMS Belfast on the Thames for London International Shipping Week.
Anyone have any idea what Jo Maugham QC knows that the rest of us don’t?
Boris Johnson has also been asked about the Operation Yellowhammer assessments and sought to downplay the impact of a no-deal Brexit.
He said: “It is very important to understand what this document is: this is a worst-case scenario which civil servants obviously have to prepare for, but in the last few months, and particularly in the 50 days since I’ve been prime minister, we’ve been massively accelerating our preparations.
“We’re trying to get a deal and I’m very hopeful that we will get a deal with our European friends on October 17th or 18th or thereabouts.
“But if we have to come out on October 31st with no-deal we will be ready and the ports will be ready and the farming communities will be ready, and all the industries that matter will be ready for a no-deal Brexit.
“What you’re looking at here is just the sensible preparations - the worst-case scenario - that you’d expect any government to do.
“In reality we will certainly be ready for a no-deal Brexit if we have to do it and I stress again that's not where we intend to end up.”
