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Thursday 26 of December 2024

Brexit: Ex-PM vows legal action if UK Parliament suspended


AP Photo,In this photo issued by ITV, showing Britain's Conservative Party leadership candidates Boris Johnson, left, and Jeremy Hunt, during a live head-to-head TV debate hosted by ITV at their studios in Salford, England, Tuesday July 9, 2019. The two contenders, Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson are competing for votes from party members, with the winner replacing Prime Minister Theresa May as party leader and Prime Minister of Britain's ruling Conservative Party. (Matt Frost/ITV via AP)
AP Photo,In this photo issued by ITV, showing Britain's Conservative Party leadership candidates Boris Johnson, left, and Jeremy Hunt, during a live head-to-head TV debate hosted by ITV at their studios in Salford, England, Tuesday July 9, 2019. The two contenders, Jeremy Hunt and Boris Johnson are competing for votes from party members, with the winner replacing Prime Minister Theresa May as party leader and Prime Minister of Britain's ruling Conservative Party. (Matt Frost/ITV via AP)

LONDON (AP) — A former British prime minister has threatened to take Conservative Party leadership candidate Boris Johnson to court if he tries to suspend Parliament to deliver a no-deal Brexit.

John Major’s comments follow a televised debate between Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, who are seeking to replace Prime Minister Theresa May. In one of the clashes, Johnson refused to rule out bypassing Parliament to prevent lawmakers from blocking a no-deal departure from the European Union on Oct. 31.

Major told the BBC on Wednesday it would be “utterly and totally unacceptable” for any British leader to shut down Parliament — and that he would seek a judicial review to stop it.

Major said “you cannot and should not bypass Parliament in this fashion.”

Hunt has ruled out such a suspension.