Explained: What's happening in this crucial Brexit week?
With a move to suspend parliament this week, the stakes will be raised in the battle to shape Brexit.
Tuesday 10 September 2019 06:38, UK
There are 52 days to go until Brexit - and with parliament set to be suspended by the close of business today, the stakes are being raised in the battle to control how - and if - the UK leaves the EU on 31 October.
Boris Johnson will be fighting it out against opposition MPs to try to keep control of Britain's departure from the trading bloc.
So on another complicated but important Brexit week, here's what's happening this week and why it matters.
When is parliament being suspended?
The PM's spokesman has confirmed that parliament is going to be shut down today, for about a month, in the run-up to his first Queen's Speech, which lays out his new government's priorities.
What about the bill to avoid no-deal? Is that law yet?
Not quite. MPs took control of the parliamentary agenda last Tuesday, passed the legislation through the Commons on Wednesday, and rushed it out of the Lords on Friday.
All that's left is for it to receive the Queen's sign-off - a procedure that applies to all new laws known as Royal Assent.
On Monday, we're expecting the legislation that Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the government is planning to "test to the limit" to legally come into effect.
What does it do again?
It forces Boris Johnson to ask the EU to delay Brexit if he hasn't passed a Brexit deal in parliament by 19 October or got MPs' approval for a no-deal divorce by the same date.
Brussels doesn't have to say yes, though.
What's Boris Johnson going to do in response?
To start with he's going to try for a second time to get an early election.
He needs two-thirds of MPs' support to call a snap poll - 434. Having only managed to win over 298 last week and with opposition parties saying they will continue to oppose the move, it is very unlikely to succeed.
If and when an election is held, it could see Mr Johnson returned to Downing Street and able to deliver a no-deal Brexit with a very different set of MPs elected to the Commons.
Or Jeremy Corbyn could win the keys to Number 10 and deliver another referendum on the Brexit deal he negotiates with Brussels.
And it's worth bearing in mind that in this political climate, a lot more scenarios that might seem unlikely right now might materialise instead.
What might opposition MPs do to diminish the chances of no-deal this week?
When parliament is suspended, MPs will lose all ability to pass votes until it is recalled for the Queen's Speech on 14 October.
So the emergency move of trying to use an archaic mechanism to impeach Mr Johnson is being raised by Plaid Cymru's Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts.
It has not been used since the 1800s, and would see MPs vote on a motion which if passed could lead to prosecution and trial within the Houses of Parliament.
Plaid Cymru says Mr Johnson wrote in support of their then MP Adam Price using the impeachment system to hold then-prime minister Tony Blair to account in 2004.
In a Daily Telegraph article, they quote Mr Johnson as saying: "He [Tony Blair] treated parliament and the public with contempt, and that is why he deserves to be impeached: that is, to be formally held to account, in the way that Adam Price suggests."
The Inner House of the Court of Session is also expected this week to hand down its ruling in a case brought by a group of over 70 cross-party MPs, arguing that proroguing parliament to force a no-deal Brexit would be unlawful and unconstitutional.
And what about party conference? Are they still going ahead?
The Liberal Democrats are scheduled to start theirs at the end of the week - on Saturday 14 September.
Some thought the conferences - where members meet, decide or shape party policy and politicians give set-piece speeches - would be cancelled, or at least slimmed down given the talk of an imminent election.
But as that looks unlikely to happen the Lib Dems look on course to carry on their conference as normal in Bournemouth.