Gloucester residents urged to sign pro-Parliament petition

Gloucester's Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate is calling on local residents to sign a petition calling on the Government not to shut down Parliament.

Dr Rebecca Trimnell said it was totally unacceptable that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was seeking to prorogue Parliament in order to stop any attempts to block a No Deal Brexit.

The Queen will be asked to suspend Parliament just days after MPs return to work in September - and only a few weeks before the Brexit deadline.

It will make way for Mr Johnson's new administration to hold a Queen's Speech - laying out the Government's plans - on October 14.

But it means MPs are unlikely to have time to pass any laws that could stop the Prime Minister taking the UK out of the EU without a deal on October 31.

The petition, which has already received nearly 250,000 signatures, says: "Parliament must not be prorogued or dissolved unless and until the article 50 period has been sufficiently extended or the UK's intention to withdraw from the EU has been cancelled."

Dr Trimnell, who will be the Lib Dem candidate in Gloucester at the next General Election, said: "It is beyond belief that Boris Johnson is taking the steps of suspending Parliament.

"Regardless of whether you voted remain or leave this shows utter contempt to our Parliamentary democracy.

"We have reached a turning point where totalitarianism has raised its ugly head and we must do everything in our power to retain our democracy.

"In 2016 Boris Johnson and Vote Leave told us the referendum was about 'taking back control' and making Parliament sovereign.

"We can now see what that means in reality - a right wing coup.

"I urge all local residents to sign the petition.

"Conservative Gloucester MP Richard Graham should be ashamed of the party that he represents and I hope he will stand up and be counted too.

"If MPs of all parties don't take action next week when Parliament resumes after the summer recess then today is the day that democracy died."

The petition can be found at: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/269157