Video
MPs table motion to demand every piece of communication made about prorogation plans
Prime Minister Boris Johnson during Prime Minister's Questions. Photograph: House of Commons/PA Wire. - Credit: PA
Dominic Grieve has tabled an emergency motion that could require every piece of communication made between ministers and advisers over Boris Johnson's plans to prorogue parliament.
It is being tabled by former Tory MP Dominic Grieve, using a device known as a humble address, which follows the same mechanisms as when the opposition tried to get the government to publish Geoffrey Cox's legal advice under Theresa May.
If the motion secures the support of the House of Commons, the government will have to publish all written and electronic communications before Thursday 12th September.
It includes "messaging services including WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Facebook messenger, private email accounts both encrypted and unencrypted, text messaging and iMessage and the use of both official and unofficial mobile phones."
The documents on prorogation are asked from advisers and officials including Hugh Bennett, Simon Burton, Dominic Cumming, Nikki da Costa, Tom Irven, Sir Roy Stone, Christopher James, Lee Cain and Beatrice Thompson.
You may also want to watch:
Grieve is also looking to force the government to publish 'Operation Yellowhammer' no-deal Brexit planning documents.
Snippets of information from the documents continue to leak, with Private Eye reporting that the reports suggest local government officials could be reallocated to Whitehall departments to deal with a no-deal Brexit.
Most Read
- 1 Jacob Rees-Mogg says it's 'all the EU's fault' musicians can't tour Europe
- 2 This chumocracy is costing our country
- 3 Bob Geldof takes swipe at No 10 saying 'lying is second nature' to them
- 4 Tory MP complains 'less scrutiny of trade deals' than when UK was in EU
- 5 No 10 says Biden removing Churchill bust ‘up to president’ despite Obama attack
- 6 Tory minister admits UK rejected EU's music visa offer in order to 'take back control' of borders
- 7 Fifteen ways to fix Britain
- 8 Piers Morgan tells Gavin Williamson to resign for being a 'catastrophe'
- 9 Poll finds Brexit-backing Wales would vote to rejoin EU
- 10 Who's on the BBC's Question Time tonight?
According to the report, the army - including territorial volunteers - would be told to run town and county halls in the absence of officials.
It reports: "One officer, who admitted he was uncomfortable at the optics of all this, observed to the Eye that this involved putting soldiers in charge even when they lacked basic literacy and numeracy."
Last week the Financial Times reported the government had u-turned on a decision to publish a "watered down" version of the documentation after ministers decided that the findings would still alarm the public.
Become a Supporter
The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.
