A petition calling on Boris Johnson to abandon his plan to suspend Parliament has now fetched more than a million signatures.

Numbers have been rising rapidly throughout the day after the Prime Minister announced his move, triggering protests across the country.

The Queen today accepted Johnson’s request to suspend Parliament for five weeks from September 9, giving pro-remain MPs little time to stop a no-deal Brexit before October 31.

The PM has said it is ‘completely untrue’ that the decision has anything to do with forcing through a no-deal Brexit.

He insists a new Queen’s speech is needed on October 14 because he has a new government with an ‘exciting agenda’ requiring new legislation.

But not everyone is convinced, as thousands took to the streets of London and Manchester today calling for an end to the ‘coup’ staged by Johnson.

Commons speaker John Bercow said the move represents ‘a constitutional outrage’. The House of Commons was initially expected to resume sitting after its summer break on 3 September.

(Metro)