Shutting down parliament to force a no-deal Brexit is 'simply not going to happen' says Bercow
- House of Commons Speaker John Bercow warns Brexiteers that they cannot force through a no-deal Brexit.
- Bercow said it was "blindingly obvious" that parliament would prevent the next prime minister from suspending parliament to allow a no-deal exit from the European Union on October 31.
- Conservative MPs have been calling on candidates for the leadership to commit to a plan to prorogue parliament in order to allow the United Kingdom to leave.
- Opponents of the plan have compared it to the actions of military dictatorships.
- Visit Business Insider's home page for more stories.
LONDON - Conservative contenders to replace Theresa May as prime minister have been warned that they will not be allowed to force through a no-deal Brexit by suspending parliament.
The House of Commons Speaker John Bercow said on Thursday that it was "blindingly obvious" that Members of Parliament would intervene to prevent such a plan.
Former Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, who is among the leading candidates to succeed May, on Wednesday refused to rule out suspending parliament in order to force through Brexit on October 31.
Raab is the latest contender for the leadership, alongside former Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey, to raise the prospect of shutting down parliament in order to pursue a no-deal exit.
His comments, at a hustings event on Wednesday, came after growing pressure from Conservative MPs for their next leader to use drastic measures to allow the United Kingdom to leave the EU without a deal.
Members of the pro-Brexit European Research Group of Conservative MPs earlier this week published a plan calling on candidates for the leadership to sign up to suspending parliament to allow a no-deal exit.
However, Bercow, who has repeatedly intervened during the UK's three-year Brexit process to empower members of parliament on the issue, warned that he would not allow this to happen.
"We all know that... Parliament will not be evacuated from the centre stage of the decision-making process on this important matter," Bercow told the Commons on Thursday.
"That's simply not going to happen it's just so blindingly obvious that it almost doesn't need to be stated, but apparently it does and I have done."