The Prime Minister has announced that the next, long overdue, Queen’s Speech will take place on the 14th October. The House returns next week on Tuesday 3rd September following Summer recess, Parliament will then be prorogued from the 9th September, returning for the Queen’s Speech where the new Government’s agenda will be announced. This has been the longest sitting Parliament since the English Civil War and the Government has the constitutional right to suspend Parliament before a Queens Speech. In fact, this is the usual practice for a new administration. Parliament would not usually sit for most of this time anyway due to the upcoming Conference recess. Proroguing Parliament before a Queen’s Speech therefore is not a constitutional outrage, but a normal process following an exceedingly long session.

Negotiations with the EU are continuing, with the Government working to formulate a deal. If and when a deal is struck there will still be enough time for debate and for MPs to either support the deal or vote for a No-Deal Brexit. With Parliament sitting for three or four fewer days than planned in what has been a three-year session.

Parliament voted for the 2016 referendum, the EU Notification of Withdrawal Act and the EU Withdrawal Act. Parliament has then rejected a deal on three occasions. I voted for the Withdrawal Agreement despite it not being perfect because it would have meant us honouring the result of the referendum and avoided a No-Deal scenario. It would be undemocratic to ignore the will of the people, to ignore those who voted in the 2016 democratic referendum and to continue to extend the legal deadline for leaving.

I welcome the Government’s announcement of its new legislative programme and I hope to see in the renewed agenda steps to tackle crime, improve fairer funding for our schools, and investment in our great NHS.