Parliament will return on 3rd September following the Summer recess as planned.  It was then scheduled to rise on the 11th or 12th September for the annual party conference season, as happens every year.  The House would then return after the party conference season on Tuesday 8thth October. 

The new proposals to prorogue Parliament on 12th and start again with a Queen Speech on 14th October effectively removes 4 sitting days from our proceedings between now and 31st October. Hardly the stuff of revolution!

The current session of Parliament has run for 340 days, the longest for 400 years. We are therefore well overdue a Queens Speech, which is a vital parliamentary tool, allowing the government of the day to outline its programme of domestic legislation, for Parliament to then debate and vote on. 

There will still be plenty of time for opponents of the government's strategy to seek Parliamentary votes. 

The reality is that we have to honour the decision of the British people to leave the EU in 2016. Any opposition MP who voted against the very sensible deal 3 times and who now is protesting about a possible no-deal is guilty of rank hypocrisy.

Finally, I wish to reassure you that all of this is designed to extract a deal from the EU. I remain confident that will be done. There is still plenty of time to achieve a deal that Parliament will support.