UK parliamentary speaker warns prime minister to follow law

Published On: September 13, 2019 03:15 PM NPT By: Associated Press

FILE - In this Friday, Sept. 6, 2019 file photo, Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow gestures during a meeting at the G7 parliaments summit, in Brest, western France. A colorful era in British parliamentary history is coming to a close with Speaker of the House John Bercow’s abrupt announcement Monday, Sept. 9, 2019 that he will leave his influential post by the end of October. (AP Photo/David Vincent, file)

LONDON, Sept 13: The speaker of Britain’s lower house of parliament has made it abundantly clear he is not going quietly into retirement.

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow used a speech Thursday night to warn Prime Minister Boris Johnson to expect Parliament to take aggressive action to make sure its legislation designed to block a “no-deal” Brexit is respected.

He says he will allow “procedural creativity” in making sure Johnson does not violate the new law, which took effect this week.

It requires Johnson to ask the European Union for an extension of the Oct. 31 Brexit deadline if no deal is reached by mid-October.

Johnson has said he will not seek an extension. Bercow says the prime minister must obey the law.

Bercow plans to step down from his influential post by the end of October.