Suspension of UK parliament makes no confidence vote more likely: lawmaker Grieve

A move by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to suspend parliament ahead of Brexit makes a no-confidence vote in his government more likely, pro-EU Conservative lawmaker Dominic Grieve said, adding he could back such a motion.

A British government source said that Johnson plans to hold a Queen's Speech on October 14, extending the period during which parliament would not sit, ahead of Brexit on Oct 31.

“This is an attempt to govern without parliament. It's pretty unprecedented, and I think the prime minister will come to regret it,” Grieve told the BBC, adding that lawmakers would move to block the suspension of parliament, also known as prorogation, or hold a no-confidence vote.

“I think (a no-confidence vote) is more likely, because if it is impossible to prevent prorogation, then I think it's going to be very difficult for people like myself to keep confidence in the government, and I could well see why the leader of the opposition might wish to table a motion for a vote of no-confidence.”