Boris Johnson’s attempt to shut down the UK Parliament to prevent democratic scrutiny of his Brexit plans has been found to be unlawful. The rule of law is one of the fundamental values of the European Union and its member states. No one is above the law and we are glad to see that the Supreme Court has shown that again today. This attempt to undermine our democracy shows that Boris Johnson is unfit to hold the office of Prime Minister and he should resign immediately.
Johnson’s move to close down our democratic institutions was a move in the wrong direction. We need more democracy, not less, and ultimately the final decision on our future in the European Union should be made by the people through a referendum – a Peoples Vote.
But this isn’t just about Brexit. This case shows that our democratic systems in the UK are broken, unfit for a country in the modern world. We need a written constitution to prevent leaders abusing their powers and we need a more democratic election system so that no one party can dominate our political system when it is only supported by a minority of people.
Parliament should reconvene straight away so that our elected representatives can begin to chart a sensible path through this national crisis.
The UK’s seven Green MEPs are: Catherine Rowett (East), Magid Magid (Yorks and Humber), Molly Scott Cato (South West), Gina Dowding (North West), Ellie Chowns (West Midlands), Scott Ainslie (London), Alexandra Phillips (South East).