Crowds chant ‘Johnson out’ as MPs and campaigners react to Supreme Court judgement

Protesters celebrating outside the Supreme Court in London, where judges have ruled that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's advice to the Queen to suspend parliament for five weeks was unlawful. Picture: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire/PA Images - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images

Crowds outside the Supreme Court spontaneously burst into chants of ‘Johnson out’ and ‘reopen parliament’ as judges revealed their unanimous findings against the government

The historic judgement has found that Boris Johnson acted unlawfully in proroguing parliament and ordered that the speaker of the house decide what steps to take next.

Protesters outside the Supreme Court, who had been watching the announcement on their mobile phones, erupted into cheers following the ruling.

Addressing the Labour party conference, Jeremy Corbyn said Boris Johnson would become “the shortest-serving prime minister there has ever been” if he resigned.

He added: “So, obey the law, take no-deal off the table and have an election to elect a government that respects democracy, that respects the rule of law and brings power back to the people, not usurps it in the way that Boris Johnson has done.

Independent MP Dominic Grieve told BBC he is “not surprised” at the ruling.

The former Tory MP, who was expelled from his former party for voting against the government, said: “I am not surprised with the judgement due to the gross misconduct by the prime minister.”

“It was perfectly obvious that the reasoning and motivation for suspending parliament was bogus and untrue and the reasons given, and I am delighted that the Supreme Court has stopped this unconstitutional act in its tracks,” he added.

He said that Johnson should now reflect on the “untold damage” he is doing to the UK’s institutions and “actually start engaging in dialogue in the House of Commons”.

Labour’s shadow Brexit secretary Keir Starmer called it a “strong judgement” which proves the prime minister “has no regard for the law”.

“Yet again he has been found out,” said Starmer. “The sooner we resume our work challenging and defeating him the better.”

Meanwhile, former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas, who backed the case, said the decision is “just the start” and that it has “stopped Johnson in his tracks”.

“Parliament cannot be swept aside by prime ministerial whim. It must resume immediately.

“This is just the start,” she tweeted. “Our democracy won’t be safe until we have a written constitution, protecting our rights and rule of law.”

Chief executive of the pro-EU campaign organisation Naomi Smith called it “a landmark decision” but warned that there is nonetheless “talk of a second suspension”.

“Those who are upset with the judges’ decision, and who have turned a blind eye to this government’s reckless abandon for our constitutional set-up, should think of the lasting damage these actions could cause,” she said.