Boris Johnson today declared war on Parliament and the British constitution as he asked the Queen to suspend the Commons weeks before Brexit.
The Prime Minister was branded a "tinpot dictator" launching an "Eton coup" after a Cabinet minister confirmed reports he is planning a Queen's Speech.
That would mean "proroguing" - suspending - Parliament within weeks, at the exact moment MPs were planning to table a law to prevent no-deal Brexit.
Reports suggest the Queen's Speech will be held on October 14 after confirmation expected from the Queen's advisors, the Privy Council, who are meeting Her Majesty at her summer retreat Balmoral.
The BBC reported Parliament will sit only from a brief period, from September 3 to around September 11, before being suspended.
This would rob MPs of nearly all chance to stop no-deal Brexit via legislation - a plan agreed by Jeremy Corbyn and opposition leaders only yesterday.
It could also hold up plans to force a no-confidence vote in the government.
A former minister told The Times: "It's outrageous and profoundly undemocratic. It's not the action of someone who is serious about getting a deal."
Lib Dem Brexit spokesman Tom Brake declared: "His declaration of war will be met with an iron fist."
Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson tweeted: "This action is an utterly scandalous affront to our democracy. We cannot let this happen."
The move, which No10 sources denied planning just three days ago, would confirm weeks of speculation that the Prime Minister plans to send MPs home to stop them blocking a no-deal Brexit .
Downing Street did not return several texts and phone calls from the Mirror.
But Tory chairman James Cleverly confirmed on Twitter: "Government to hold a Queen’s Speech, just as all new Governments do."
A Downing Street source told the BBC it would be a "bog-standard" Queen's Speech process about "improving the NHS, helping police fight violent crime, stopping violent criminals getting out early, investing in science + infrastructure, and attacking the cost of living with aggressive tax cuts + other measures".
The last Queen's Speech was held more than two years ago - the longest gap in 400 years. And MPs were due to leave the Commons anyway for their standard recess for party conferences, around the end of September.
But Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: "It seems that Boris
Johnson may actually be about to shut down Parliament to force through a no deal Brexit.
"Unless MPs come together to stop him next week, today will go down in
history as a dark one indeed for UK democracy."
Former Labour MP Chris Leslie said: "If true, this undemocratic manoeuvre to try and shut down Parliament must be fought every step of the way.
"How totally underhanded of Boris Johnson to make the Queen sign off on this plot it in a secret ceremony up in Balmoral.
"The House of Commons must assemble and veto this."
Labour MP Stephen Doughty said the "unconstitutional and undemocratic outrage" would "pull the Queen into a major political crisis".
Green MP Caroline Lucas said on Twitter: "Wasn't this meant to be about 'taking back control'? The act of a cowardly Prime Minister who knows his reckless No Deal Brexit will never gain the support of MPs. A constitutional outrage which Parliament and the people will oppose."
Green MEP Molly Scott Cato added: "This will mean the end of democracy in Britain."
Labour MP and former Government minister Yvette Cooper tweeted: "Boris Johnson is trying to use the Queen to concentrate power in his own hands - this is a deeply dangerous and irresponsible way to govern."
Naomi Smith, chief executive of anti-Brexit group Best for Britain, said: "It would make no sense for the Queen to back this deeply undemocratic, unconstitutional and fundamentally political manoeuvre from the government.
"If the Queen is asked to help, she would do well to remember history doesn’t look too kindly on royals who aid and abet the suspension of democracy."
Former Tory MP Sarah Wollaston said the Prime Minister was "behaving like a tin pot dictator".
Labour MP Paul Sweeney added: "This is an attempted coup by an elite old Etonian against our democratic Parliament. It will however only serve to galvanise MPs to strike hard and decisively to prevent a no deal Brexit next week."
