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Johnson calls on opposition to table no-confidence motion in his government

The House of Commons resumed today after its suspension by the government
The House of Commons resumed today after its suspension by the government

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told the House of Commons that opposition parties have "until the house rises today" to table a motion of no-confidence in his government.

In his first address to the house since the UK Supreme Court declared that his decision to suspend parliament for five weeks was unlawful, Boris Johnson said the court's decision was "wrong".

He said that parliament is "paralysed" and it will "keep delaying" and "keep sabotaging" the Brexit negotiations "because they don't want a deal".

Mr Johnson said: "The truth is that members opposite are living in a fantasy world.

"That somehow they are going to cancel the first referendum and they are going to legislate for a second referendum and parliament will promise that this time it really, really will respect that vote".

Mr Johnson questioned whether Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn wanted to be prime minister.

"Is he going to dodge a vote of no confidence in me as prime minister in order to escape the verdict of the voters?

"I wonder does he in his heart even want to be prime minister any more?"

In response to Mr Johnson, Mr Corbyn called on him to quit.

"After yesterday's ruling the prime minister should have done the honourable thing and resigned," he said.

Mr Corbyn said the statement was "10 minutes of bluster from a dangerous prime minister who thinks he is above the law.

"In truth, he is not fit for the office that he holds," the Labour leader added.

Mr Corbyn told Mr Johnson that he should first secure a delay to Brexit to win backing for a general election.

"It's very simple - if you want an election, get an extension and let's have an election," Mr Corbyn said.

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Earlier, the Attorney General Geoffrey Cox told parliament that the government would accept the Supreme Court's ruling but he said it was entitled to disagree with the court's findings.

He told MPs that this parliament was "as dead as dead can be" and he urged the opposition to agree to hold a general election to let the public have their say.

Additional reporting Reuters