Queen Elizabeth II approves U.K. government's request to suspend Parliament

Queen Elizabeth II has approved a request from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government to suspend Parliament when it returns from its summer recess until it can lay out its plans with a traditional Queen's Speech on Oct. 14, per the BBC.

Why it matters: While the request is largely standard process for a new administration — the Queen's Speech is akin to an incoming State of the Union — these are not standard times. The length of the suspension is longer than usual, and Johnson's opposition would have little time to use parliamentary procedure to stop a no-deal Brexit. Assuming that negotiations with the European Union remain stalled, it means that the U.K. will likely either crash out of the bloc on Oct. 31 — or face a snap general election called by Johnson's opposition.

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