SUSSEX MPs have spoken out after leading a passionate protest in the House of Commons against a five-week Parliament shutdown.
Brighton Kemptown MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle and Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas held up signs reading “silenced” in the House of Commons early yesterday morning.
Mr Russell-Moyle appeared to lay over the lap of Speaker of the House John Bercow after he was called to the House of Lords for a ceremony.
But an official pulled Mr Bercow away from his seat, sending Mr Russell-Moyle tumbling into a crowd of protesting MPs including Ms Lucas.
>> SEE ALSO: Speaker 'held in chair' by Brighton MP in protest at Parliament suspension
The Labour MP said he decided to protest to show his anger over Boris Johnson’s suspension of Parliament.
“It was quite impromptu but a group of us decided to hold the Speaker down gently to show our anger,” he said.
“Boris Johnson has prorogued Parliament to force through a no-deal.”
Mr Russell-Moyle feared Mr Johnson would not abide by a law calling on him to negotiate an extension for the Brexit deadline, currently on October 31.
“Boris Johnson has already been fired for lying before,” he said.
“We helped Europe in its hour of need and now we need them to help us to stop us being taken over by right-wing extremists.
“I’m going to Brussels to speak with delegates about securing a deal.
“It’s obvious Boris Johnson does not want a deal and is not pursuing one, so now it is up to us.”
Green MP Ms Lucas said there was “anger and frustration” in Parliament on Tuesday morning.
“The fact that the law is being ignored and the Prime Minister can no longer be held to account is shameful,” the Brighton Pavilion MP said.
“All of the work we have done in Parliament on so many bills has come to nothing.
“We were working for years on a bill against domestic violence. That is out of the window now.”
Ms Lucas had similar fears Mr Johnson would ignore Parliament’s instruction on a Brexit extension.
She said: “It’s such an indictment on Boris Johnson that we seriously have to talk about him ignoring us.”
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