Trending: ‘prorogue’

Searches for prorogue rose on August 28, 2019, after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson proposed a parliamentary procedure that would suspend the Parliament and effectively stop debate among elected officials on Brexit during a time when Britain does not yet have a trade agreement in place with the European Union. On the one hand, this could mean that there will not be enough time to avoid a "no deal" Brexit, but it could also mean that Johnson may try to use a shortened period of debate to force an agreement with Europe under the extra pressure. Limiting the role of the elected Parliament is being criticized as an anti-democratic move.

Jeremy Corbyn accuses Boris Johnson of carrying out a "smash and grab on our democracy" by asking the Queen to suspend Parliament

The Labour leader says MPs will attempt legislation to stop the move

Latest: https://t.co/u3TmfwRBRj #Brexit #Prorogation pic.twitter.com/t7mj5XeEAz

— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) August 28, 2019

Prorogue means "to terminate a session of (something, such as a British parliament) by royal prerogative" or "to suspend or end a legislative session."

Prorogue came to English from French in the 1400s; the French term came from the Latin word prorogare, meaning "to prolong" or "to defer." It ultimately derives from the combination of the Latin words pro- ("before") and rogare ("to ask").

Prorogation ends a session of Parliament until the beginning of the next session, which follows a ceremonial speech by the Queen. By contrast, when Parliament is dissolved, the session ends and an election takes place before it is reconvened.