Steerpike

Early this morning at around 2am, the Commons witnessed some of the most extraordinary behaviour seen in the Chamber in living memory, as MPs attempted to protest the prorogation of parliament. Below are the strangest moments from the morning: 1. Labour MPs attempted to stop the Speaker John Bercow from leaving his seat as he was called to the Lords to carry out the formal procedure for proroguing parliament. The left-wing MP for Brighton Kemptown and famed mace swinger Lloyd Russell-Moyle briefly lay across Bercow's lap before being pulled off by a member of Commons staff. https://twitter.com/MattChorley/status/1171323272648167426?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw 2.

David Cameron notably came under fire from all quarters when his Resignation Honours list was released in 2016. The former PM's attempt to dole out knighthoods and honours to his nearests, dearests and even hair stylist, was roundly condemned as the ultimate example of Westminster cronyism. None though were more offended at the time than his successor, Theresa May. Shortly afterwards, May said that when Cameron gave his former communications director Craig Oliver a knighthood, 'most of us' felt like 'retching violently' at the news. How times change. This evening, Theresa May's own dissolution honours have been released, showing the worthy elite the former prime minister has decided to bestow knighthoods upon and send up to the House of Lords.

As the Labour party currently decides whether it wants to fight a general election, many observers are still trying to work out (three years after the referendum) what the party's actual Brexit policy is. Does Labour want to Remain? Does it want to fight a second referendum? And if there is a second referendum, what will the party campaign for? Happily, Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary, Emily Thornberry was on Question Time last night to clear up any misunderstandings. Presenter Fiona Bruce began proceedings by making a valiant attempt to outline what she understood was Labour's current, official Brexit policy, before asking: 'You would go back to Europe, try and get a better deal. Have a referendum, where Remain is an option.

Boris Johnson was dealt a bitter blow this morning. Not only did the Prime Minister suffer his first ministerial resignation, a mere 43 days in to his premiership, but it was his own brother Jo who wielded the dagger. The former universities minister, who signed up to Boris's government in July, dramatically announced his resignation on Twitter, saying that: 'In recent weeks I’ve been torn between family loyalty and the national interest – it’s an unresolvable tension and time for others to take on my roles as MP and Minister. #overandout' But was the writing always on the wall? It certainly seems that Boris was tempting fate when he was interviewed by the Telegraph back in 2013.

Jeremy Corbyn backtracked on one of his core political messages yesterday, when he told Boris Johnson that he no longer wants a general election. The Labour leader is now briefing that his MPs will not vote for an election until a bill has been passed blocking a no-deal Brexit. Is this not quite the U-turn you ask? Mr S certainly thinks so. A quick glance at the House of Commons' records shows that Corbyn has demanded an immediate election 16 times in Parliament in 2019. Over the same period, the Labour leader has called for an election on Twitter a whopping 34 times as well, bringing the total to 50. It seems that Corbyn's many calls for the Conservatives to 'hold an election now!

In a dramatic move earlier this evening, the MP Phillip Lee crossed the House of Commons floor to join the Liberal Democrats, in protest at Boris Johnson's Brexit strategy. The MP, who represents Bracknell (a constituency that voted Leave in 2016), blasted the government in a statement for ‘using political manipulation, bullying and lies’ to achieve its agenda. But Mr S wonders if perhaps Lee should look a little closer to home before he criticises others... Back in 2016, before the EU referendum, Lee spoke at the Frontline Club and emphatically promised the audience and his constituents that ‘if the country votes to leave I will represent the public’s view and vote accordingly.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?

It's all out war in the Conservative party this morning, after the former Tory Prime Minister John Major announced that he was joining a legal action (started by the Remain campaigner Gina Miller) which will argue that Boris Johnson's prorogation of parliament was unlawful. In his statement Major grandly stated that: 'I promised to that, if the Prime Minister prorogued parliament in order to prevent Members from opposing his Brexit plans, I would seek judicial review of his action.' And went on to add that his experience of having 'served in government as a minister and prime minister' would allow him to assist the legal action.

There were howls of outrage yesterday when Boris Johnson announced that he was calling for a Queen's Speech on 14 October, and suspending parliament for several weeks beforehand. MPs, Remainer commentators and even the Speaker of the House of Commons chimed in to label the move a 'constitutional outrage', and accused the government of politicising the Queen by requesting prorogation for political purposes. In response, the government sent out their own constitutional expert this morning to do a broadcast round, and to defend its decision.

Boris Johnson announced this morning that he will attempt to schedule a Queen's speech on 14 October, and will suspend parliament for several weeks in September to do so – cutting down the amount of time MPs have in parliament to prevent a no-deal Brexit. It's entirely normal for a new government to schedule a Queen's speech on taking power, and will usually suspend parliament beforehand (though not normally for this length of time). Boris Johnson's decision will also bring an end to one of the longest parliamentary sessions in history, and will not close parliament during the actual Brexit date, as many anti no-dealers initially feared.

To the G7 summit in Biarritz where Boris Johnson has held his first meeting with Donald Trump since becoming Prime Minister. The two blondes used the breakfast meet to talk up trade, with President Trump saying the UK leaving the EU will be like losing 'an anchor round the ankle'. A more jolly affair than the President's interactions with the previous prime minister, Trump praised Johnson as 'the right man' to deliver Brexit. The start of a new chapter in the special relationship? Captions in the comments.

Mr S was curious to spy a puzzling email sent out by CCHQ to their prospective parliamentary candidates today. The message asked would-be Tory runners to send in their CVs so that the party can select candidates for the next general election. Recipients were told that anyone selected as a parliamentary contender would cease to be a candidate if 'an existing MP exercises an incumbency right over it'. The email reads: The Board of the Conservative Party has decided to proceed with selections in constituencies that would be affected by Major Boundary changes under the Parliamentary Boundary Review.