JOHN Bercow has insisted Westminster must reconvene tomorrow morning as a result of today's historic Supreme Court ruling. 

The Speaker of the House of Commons said he had contacted party leaders after the court's unanimous judgment that Boris Johnson acted unlawfully by suspending Parliament for five weeks ahead of Brexit.

The Prime Minister prorogued Parliament earlier this month, but this has now been ruled null and void.

Mr Johnson is already facing mounting pressure to resign as a result of the explosive court decision.

Mr Bercow said: “I welcome the judgement this morning of the Supreme Court. That judgment is unanimous, that judgment is unambiguous, and that judgment is unqualified.”

He added: “The citizens of the UK are entitled to expect that Parliament does discharge its core functions, that is in a position to scrutinise the executive, to hold ministers to account and to legislate if it chooses.

“In the light of that explicit judgment, I have instructed the House authorities to prepare – not for the recall; the prorogation was unlawful and is void – but prepare for the resumption of the business of the House of Commons.

“Specifically, I have instructed the House authorities to undertake such steps as are necessary to ensure that the House of Commons sits tomorrow, and that it does so at 11.30am.

“I have contacted party leaders, and where that has not been possible, senior representatives of political parties, in order to inform them of my thinking and to prepare the way for the House of Commons to do its work.”

Mr Bercow said “notification requirements” meant it was not possible for a Prime Minister’s Questions session to take place as normal.

But he insisted there would be “full scope” for urgent questions, ministerial statements and emergency debates.

Scotland’s highest civil court previously ruled Mr Johnson was “motivated by the improper purpose of stymying” Parliament, and that he had effectively misled the public.

But the High Court in London, which was dealing with a similar case led by anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller, insisted the issue was “purely political” and not a matter for the courts.

Both cases were appealed to the Supreme Court, which has now sided with the Scottish ruling.

The Supreme Court's president, Lady Hale, said: "The effect on the fundamentals of our democracy was extreme."

Joanna Cherry QC, the SNP MP who led the cross-party group of politicians behind the Scottish legal action, insisted Westminster must reconvene as soon as possible.

She said: "I am delighted the UK Supreme Court has followed Scotland’s supreme court and ruled that Boris Johnson's undemocratic decision to shut down Parliament ahead of Brexit was unlawful and unconstitutional.

"Parliament must resume without delay, so we can hold the Tory government to account on its Brexit plans, which threaten to plunge the UK into recession, destroy 100,000 Scottish jobs, and inflict lasting harm on living standards, public services and the economy.

"Boris Johnson should resign. His behaviour has been disgraceful and his position is untenable - if he had a shred of integrity he would jump before he is pushed.

"This whole sorry mess has underlined just how broken Westminster is. Scotland deserves the choice of a better future than the one being imposed upon it. It's clearer than ever, that the only way to properly protect Scotland's interests is to become an independent country."

Writing on Twitter, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the ruling was "of truly historic proportions".

She posted a picture of her Cabinet gathered in front of a television in Bute House, her official residence in Edinburgh, to watch the ruling.

Elsewhere, Labour MP Ian Murray, one of the other petitioners behind the Scottish case, hailed the "historic result". 

He said: "The courts have upheld British democracy and delivered an astonishing rebuke to Boris Johnson for his disgraceful behaviour . 

"The Prime Minister lied and politicised the Queen. He now has no option but to resign.

"It was a scandal that he suspended Parliament at the height of the biggest political crisis this country has faced since the Second World War.

"MPs must now be allowed to get back to work as early as tomorrow, and by working together we can solve this crisis by giving people a final say on Brexit - with the option to remain in the EU."

In a statement, Ms Miller said it was "a win for Parliamentary sovereignty, the separation of powers and independence of our British courts".  

She said: "This was a breach of the central constitutional principle of Parliamentary Sovereignty to gain political advantage.

"As a result of this judgment, Parliament is open – it was never prorogued. I urge MPs to get back to work immediately."    

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson said: “The court has found what we all knew all along, Boris Johnson has again proven he is not fit to be Prime Minister.

"This shutdown was an unlawful act designed to stop Parliament doing its job and holding the Government to account.

"Given this verdict, Parliament should be sitting so that we can continue to question the Conservative Government on their disastrous Brexit plans.

“This verdict has been unanimously agreed by experienced judges who have considered the case on its merits, acting as impartial guardians of our democratic system.

"The rule of law is an important pillar of our democracy, and those looking to use this opportunity as an excuse to attack these judges would be not only attacking them, but also the entire principle of our legal system.

“It remains the Liberal Democrats' priority to stop no-deal Brexit and to stop Brexit altogether.”

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “In light of the clear judgement of the supreme court that the decision to prorogue parliament was unlawful, void and of no effect it’s clear that the Prime Minister and his Cabinet must resign immediately.

"Their reckless actions demonstrated complete contempt for parliamentary democracy.

"Parliament must be recalled at once in order to hold this out of control regime to account.”