Boris Johnson says he 'obviously' respects court’s ruling that he illegally shut down Parliament

Boris Johnson.
(Image credit: WPA Pool/Pool/Getty Images)

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson unsurprisingly said Tuesday he does not agree with the British Supreme Court's ruling that his suspension of Parliament was unlawful. But, speaking to reporters in New York at the United Nations General Assembly, Johnson said he would "obviously" respect the verdict.

He added that the ruling will make getting a Brexit deal done with the European Union ahead of the October 31st more difficult, but "we'll get on."

See more

The Guardian notes that the ruling doesn't prevent Johnson from trying to suspend Parliament again, though a suspension could reportedly only last a few days if he made another attempt. Johnson said he thinks there's still a good case for a Queen's speech — which is always preceded by a prorogration of Parliament — despite the ruling.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

While some MPs have called for Johnson's resignation, his comments would indicate that's not something he's considering at the moment, and a Downing street source confirmed he won't be stepping down. Instead, Johnson will reportedly leave New York earlier than expected Tuesday evening, so he can return to London.

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.