Johnson suspends British Parliament

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson took a bold step on Wednesday to prevent lawmakers from hindering Brexit. He discontinued Parliament until Queen Elizabeth II opens a new session on Oct. 14. Members were scheduled to return from summer break on Sept. 3, but Johnson’s decision, which the queen approved, means they only will have a few weeks to take action before the United Kingdom’s deadline to leave the European Union on Oct. 31.

How is Britain taking it? Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn called the government reckless, saying, “If Johnson has confidence in his plans he should put them to the people in a general election or public vote.” An online petition to block the suspension of Parliament garnered nearly 700,000 signatures by Wednesday. The British pound fell in value to $1.2187 from $1.2300 the previous day. Johnson, who assumed office last month, promised to get Britain out of the EU in October, with or without a deal.

Dig deeper: Read my report in World Tour about warnings of severe economic disruptions if Britain exits the EU without a deal.