Government defeated on adjournment motion

On Thursday 26 September 2019, the Government was defeated on a motion to adjourn Parliament from 26 September until 3 October 2019 for the Conservative Party Conference. The motion was defeated by a majority of 17, with 289 Ayes to 306 Noes.

The adjournment of Parliament at this time would have undermined democracy as the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday 24 September 2019 that the Government’s prorogation of Parliament was null and void. With just 35 days until the Brexit deadline of 31 October 2019, it is important that the House is sitting so that the Government can be scrutinised.

This was the first time that a major party has failed to win a recess for party conference season and was the eighth defeat for Boris Johnson’s Government.