A petition calling on the government not to prorogue parliament has reached 1.5 million signatures.
The petition on parliament’s website amassed the number required around 12 hours after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced he planned to suspend parliament in order to push through his new domestic agenda.
Any petition that secures 10,000 signatures is guaranteed a government response and 100,000 names sees the petitions committee consider it for debate by MPs.
Signatures on the petition continue to climb, despite the Queen approving an order on Wednesday afternoon to prorogue parliament no earlier than September 9 and no later than September 12, until October 14.
Thousands of people protested against Boris Johnson’s plans to suspend parliament, with rallies in London, Edinburgh and other cities within hours of prime minister announcing the decision. Further protests are planned across the UK on Saturday.
Critics, including Commons Speaker John Bercow, called the move a “constitutional outrage”, designed to stop MPs from intervening as the UK heads towards a no-deal Brexit on October 31.
The petition, which was created by Mark Johnston on parliament’s website, states that parliament should not be prorogued unless there is another extension of the Brexit deadline or the idea of leaving the European Union is scrapped altogether.
It says: “Parliament must not be prorogued or dissolved unless and until the Article 50 period has been sufficiently extended or the UK’s intention to withdraw from the EU has been cancelled.”