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The businesswoman whose legal action forced Theresa May to ask for Parliament’s permission before triggering Article 50, has announced today she has reassembled her legal team to “defend Parliament’s sovereignty”. And she has also launched a scathing attack against the frontrunner in the Tory leadership contest for failing to rule out shutting down Parliament to keep his promise and deliver a no deal Brexit on October 31. She said: “It should be deeply worrying to every UK citizen that, at this critical moment in the political and economic life of our nation, Boris Johnson, likely to be our Prime Minister in less than two weeks’ time, appears willing to abandon our parliamentary sovereignty by refusing to rule out proroguing Parliament to get a No Deal Brexit passed.
“Such contempt for parliamentary sovereignty, a key pillar of our constitution and democratic traditions, would effectively reduce us to a dictatorship.”
Mrs Miller branded “ironic” that Mr Johnson and other Brexiteers have been campaigning in favour of leaving the European Union to get back control of Britain’s policy and are now backing the possibility of denying Parliament of its ability to “hold the Government to account”.
She said: “It is ironic that Mr Johnson so proudly parades his credentials as a champion of parliamentary sovereignty, yet appears worryingly cavalier about the right of Parliament to agree the terms of our departure from the EU.
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“Denying Parliament its sovereign right to hold the Government to account would fly in the face of what Mr Johnson and so many fellow Brexiteers claim is vital to taking back control of our politics.
“I have therefore instructed my legal team to serve notice on Mr Johnson, and to take whatever steps would be necessary if, as Prime Minister, he attempts to deny our elected representatives their legitimate right to debate, scrutinise and vote on the Brexit options facing our nation, prior to the 31 October deadline.
“We are ready to go to court to test the legality of any attempt to prorogue Parliament.”
This attack comes after Mrs Miller’s lawyers sent a letter before action to Mr Johnson, warning it would be “constitutionally unacceptable” and unlawful to shut down Parliament.
The letter, wrote by the team at Mishcon de Reya LLP, read: “You would be closing the doors of Parliament to prevent it from legislating on the most important political issue of the day, when time is of the essence.
“In such circumstances it would be unlawful for you as Prime Minister to advise Her Majesty to prorogue Parliament for the purpose of preventing parliament from considering the enactment of a law to stop the UK leaving the EU without a deal.”
Mrs Miller’s latest move comes after former Tory Prime Minister Sir John Major said he would be willing to go to court to seek a judicial review to stop Mr Johnson from proroguing Parliament.
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He said: “I served in parliament for over 20 years. I’m very proud to have done so.
“I have huge admiration for our parliamentary traditions. I’m not going to stand by and see them disregarded in this fashion.
“It is utterly, utterly and completely the wrong way to proceed.”
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