{UAH} MOTHER OF PARLIAMENTS SHUT DOWN BY FATHER OF LIES

MOTHER OF PARLIAMENTS SHUT DOWN BY FATHER OF LIES", QC tells court in brutal attack on Boris Johnson

Concluding almost two hours of lively submission in this landmark case, being heard by a full bench of 11 judges of the Supreme Court,  Mr O'Neill  QC for Scottish Members Of Paliament said:

 "Stand up for truth, stand up for reason, stand up for diversity, stand up for Parliament, stand up for democracy by dismissing this Government appeal and upholding a constitution governed by laws, not the passing whims of men.

"What we have with prorogation is the mother of parliaments closed down by the father of lies. Lies have consequences - but the truth will set us free.

"Rather than allow lies to triumph, this court should listen to the angels of its better nature and rule that this prorogation is an unlawful abuse of power of prorogation which has been entrusted to the Government.

"But this Government has shown itself unworthy of our trust as it uses the power of office to which is corrosive of the constitution and destructive of the system of parliamentary representative democracy on which our union polity is founded.

"Enough is enough. Dismiss this appeal and let them know that. This is what truth speaking to power sounds like."

Bobby

Brexit: 'Mother of parliaments shut down by father of lies', QC tells court in jibe at Boris Johnson – as it happened

Rolling coverage of the day's political developments as they happen, including day two of the supreme court hearing to decide if Boris Johnson's five-week suspension of parliament was lawful

• Lunchtime summary
• Afternoon summary
• 'Very little time remaining' - Summary of Juncker's speech to MEPs
• Supreme court hearing - What you need to know

Updated 1h ago

 The supreme court, which is currently hearing an appeal that will determine whether Boris Johnson's suspension of parliament was lawful. Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

17:55

Afternoon summary

• The supreme court has been told that "the mother of parliaments [is] being shut down by the father of lies". (See 4.12pm.) Aidan O'Neill QC, counsel for the SNP MP Joanna Cherry and the other parliamentarians challenging the government's decision to suspend parliament for five weeks, delivered the jibe against Boris Johnson as he wound up his speech to the court this afternoon. As well as accusing Johnson of lying, O'Neill said Johnson and his government could not be trusted not to engage in "low, dishonest, dirty tricks". (See 3.25pm.) O'Neill's speech was easily the most passionate and outspoken of the four submissions heard so far by the court in this case, although at times there were hints that some of the judges were finding him unduly histrionic. With just one day left of the hearing, it is hard to assess which side is likely to win. O'Neill and his team do not seem to have persuaded the court that the five-week prorogation has fatally damaged the ability of parliament to scrutinise the Brexit process; the fact that MPs passed the Benn bill, supposedly stopping a no-deal Brexit on 31 October, during the September sitting seems to have worked as an effective argument against the claim that parliament has been silenced. But interventions from judges also suggest that they are open to the argument that the PM's power to prorogue parliament should be subject to some constraints. (See11.02am and 11.12am.) This has fuelled speculation that the court may deliver an equivocal ruling that might effectively amount to a "don't do it again" warning to the prime minister. (See 12.24pm.)But that is pure speculation. No one knows.

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