The UK government¡¯s decision to prorogue parliament in the run-up to an expected no-deal Brexit shows ¡°utter contempt for democracy¡±, the University and College Union said.

The Queen approved on 28 August a request from Prime Minister Boris Johnson to suspend parliament for five weeks from mid-September, severely limiting MPs¡¯ options to prevent the UK crashing out of the European Union without an agreement.

Jo Grady, the UCU¡¯s general secretary, said that Mr Johnson¡¯s move to prorogue parliament ¡°has confirmed his utter contempt for democracy¡±.

¡°Today¡¯s decision has placed the country in uncharted territory, and increased the uncertainty facing staff and students across the UK,¡± Dr Grady said. ¡°It will seriously undermine the ability of our elected MPs to scrutinise the impact of the government¡¯s Brexit plans on further and ÖйúAƬ, and must be opposed.¡±

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Under the government¡¯s plans, parliament would not return until a Queen¡¯s speech on 14 October, ahead of the UK¡¯s expected departure from the EU on 31 October.

Failing to agree a deal before that date would likely result in UK-based researchers being excluded from EU research framework programmes, and from the Erasmus+ mobility programme.

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Without access to Horizon Europe, the EU¡¯s next research programme, UK universities could lose the ability to host European Research Council grant holders ¨C among the world¡¯s best scientists ¨C and lose out on the ?1 billion a year they currently receive from the overall scheme.

The Brexit crisis is likely to place increasing pressure on Jo Johnson, the universities minister, who resigned from Theresa May¡¯s government in order to support a second EU referendum, but returned to his old brief when his elder brother entered No 10.

Dr Grady said that UCU members needed to ¡°channel our anger and despair into action¡±. ¡°I will be attending the protest at Downing Street on Saturday, and I urge all members of UCU to join me,¡± she said.

chris.havergal@timeshighereducation.com