NICOLA Sturgeon has called on Ruth Davidson to mobilise her MPs against Boris Johnson’s plan to shut down parliament.
The First Minister said the Scottish Tory leader should also order her 13 MPs to join the cross-party effort to oppose a no-deal Brexit.
Ms Sturgeon tweeted after it emerged Mr Johnson is to ask the Queen to prorogue parliament for five weeks starting in early September.
READ MORE: Boris Johnson to seek extended suspension of Parliament ahead of a Queen's Speech
The Commons is already due to have a “conference recess” between September 14 and October 9 - a period opposition MPs hoped to shorten to pass legislation to block no-deal.
However by proroguing parliament for 23 working days until a Queen’s speech on October 14, Mr Johnson stops MPs shortening recess and severely limits their chance to stop no-deal.
Last month MS Davidson said she would not hesitate to criticise the PM is he deserved it.
She said: "I’ve been a critic of Boris Johnson when our ideas have differed and when I thought he had merited it, and I will continue to be so.”
However she has yet to comment on his plan.
READ MORE: Ruth Davidson admits 'personal concerns' about Boris Johnson
Ms Sturgeon said that unless MPs united to stop Mr Johnson it would “go down in history as a done indeed for UK democracy”.
Given her past statements opposing a no deal Brexit, it would be good to have confirmation from Ruth Davidson today that all Scots Tory MPs will back the cross party effort next week to stop it - and that they will also oppose Boris Johnson’s attempt to shut down Parliament.
— Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) August 28, 2019
She tweeted: “Given her past statements opposing a no deal Brexit, it would be good to have confirmation from Ruth Davidson today that all Scots Tory MPs will back the cross party effort next week to stop it - and that they will also oppose Boris Johnson’s attempt to shut down Parliament.”
However many of Ms Davidson’s MPs are bound by collective responsibility to follow the UK Government line, including Scottish Secretary Alister Jack and Scottish Minister Colin Clark.
The Scottish Tories have been asked for comment.
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