Nigel Farage tweets that his Brexit Party will fight the PM "every inch of the way" if he pursues the Withdrawal Agreement that Theresa May negotiated with the EU - but will help Mr Johnson secure a majority in a general election if he seeks what he calls a "clean break" Brexit.

Image source, PA Media

Tory MP Damian Collins is asked by Radio 5 Live about the suspension of Parliament.

"What's been proposed in having the Queen's speech on the 14 October, it probably mean we've lost about four sitting days - so it's not really a suspension for the whole of that time," Mr Collins says.

But does taking away four days not hinder MPs' ability to prevent no-deal Brexit being forced through? presenter Chris Warburton asks.

"Parliament amended the withdrawal agreement to allow for the delay in Brexit in March - that legislation was put through in a day, and even when the opposition parties took control of the government order paper to put that motion through, that took two days," Mr Collins says.

"There's plenty of time to do that."

BBC Westminster's Daniel Kraemer explains what the term means.

Labour MP for Edinburgh South Ian Murray says MPs and peers will consider seeking an interim interdict to stop prorogation, the Huffington Post's Paul Waugh tweets.

Retweeting Paul Waugh, BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg writes: "This fight is going to be legal as well as political in next few weeks."

Adam Fleming
Brussels reporter

It is business as usual as far as the EU is concerned.

One EU source has said to me that “whatever happens, the EU was never going to change its position because no deal becomes ‘more credible’ or opponents of ‘no deal’ would get better organised.”

What the EU is really waiting for is some detailed proposals from UK on the backstop.

All the rest is a lot of noise.

Very loud noise, but noise.

Image source, PA

“Shutting down Parliament would be an offence against the democratic process and the rights of Parliamentarians as the people’s elected representatives," says the Speaker John Bercow

“Surely at this early stage in his premiership, the prime minister should be seeking to establish rather than undermine his democratic credentials and indeed his commitment to Parliamentary democracy."

• Who is Speaker John Bercow?

Image source, Reuters

Boris Johnson has written to MPs outlining his government's plans.

In the letter he promises to introduce a "bold and ambitious domestic legislative agenda" which MPs would be able to vote on in October.

"We will help the NHS, fight violent crime, invest in infrastructure and science and cut the cost of living," he says.

"A central feature of the legislative programme will be the government's number one legislative priority, if a new deal is forthcoming at EU Council, to introduce a Withdrawal Agreement Bill and move at pace to secure its passage before 31 October," he writes.

He says Parliament will be able to debate the government's programme, including its approach to Brexit, "then vote on this on 21 and 22 October" following an EU Council summit.

Image source, Reuters

House of Commons Speaker John Bercow responds to the PM's statement: “I have had no contact from the government, but if the reports that it is seeking to prorogue Parliament are confirmed, this move represents a constitutional outrage.

“However it is dressed up, it is blindingly obvious that the purpose of prorogation now would be to stop Parliament debating Brexit and performing its duty in shaping a course for the country," he says.

BBC Radio 5 Live

SNP MP Joanna Cherry tells Radio 5 Live that it is "disingenuous" of the PM to claim the prorogation is because he wants to push through his domestic agenda - as has also been claimed by Tory MP Peter Bone - rather than force a no-deal Brexit.

"This is about a prime minister who knows that a majority of MPs are opposed to the terrible economic damage that would be caused by a no-deal Brexit," she says.

"He's basically trying to find a way to stop Parliament sitting so that those MPs can't take action.

"He saw how well the cross-party talks went yesterday, he is aware that I and others have raised action in the Scottish courts to try and stop him from suspending Parliament and he's trying to rush this through now - but I don't think he'll get away with it."

Image source, AFP/Getty Images

The prime minister has written to MPs, explaining the government move.

The letter says:

"I fully recognise that the debate on the Queen's Speech will be an opportunity for Members of Parliament to express their view on this Government's legislative agenda and its approach to, and the result of, the European Council on 17-18 October. It is right that you should have the chance to do so, in a clear and unambiguous manner.

"I also believe it is vitally important that the key votes associated with the Queen's Speech and any deal with the EU fall at a time when parliamentarians are best placed to judge the Government's programme," it continues.

"Parliament will have the opportunity to debate the Government's overall programme, and approach to Brexit, in the run up to EU Council, and then vote on this on 21 and 22 October, once we know the outcome of the Council.

"Should I succeed in agreeing a deal with the EU, Parliament will then have the opportunity to pass the Bill required for ratification on f the deal ahead of 31 October."

Jonathan Blake
BBC political correspondent

This will be a kick up the backside for Labour, the SNP, the Lib Dems and others in Parliament who have struggled to come together behind one clear strategy to try and avoid a no-deal Brexit.

They have been split apart by political differences.

We have seen the Liberal Democrats not very keen to come behind Jeremy Corbyn as a temporary PM following a vote of no confidence.

What this decision by the government to suspend Parliament will do is make that option more likely.

It is possible within a week, to get some form of legislation to force the government to ask for an extension to the Brexit process and avoid a no deal - but it will be very difficult to do it in that time.

A vote of no confidence is a much more blunt, swift approach to bringing down the government.

However, it is far from clear if Mr Corbyn has the numbers to win that vote of no confidence.

Conservative MP Dominic Grieve - who backed Remain in 2016 and has called for a further referendum - is "working like wildfire" to find a parliamentary mechanism to demonstrate MPs' opposition to the prime minister's move, the Guardian's political correspondent Kate Proctor reports.

One option is a "humble address, external", she tweets - a procedure that allows Parliament to send a message requesting documents from departments headed by a Secretary of State, and which can be amended and voted on.

Downing Street has released a statement confirming that the PM has spoken to the Queen to "request an end to the current parliamentary session in the second sitting week in September".

"Following the conclusion of the traditional party conference season, the second session of this Parliament will commence with a Queen’s Speech on Monday 14 October," the statement continues.

"A central feature of the legislative programme will be the Government’s number one legislative priority - if a new deal is forthcoming at European Council - to introduce a Withdrawal Agreement Bill and move at pace to secure its passage before 31 October.

"The decision to end the current parliamentary session - the longest in close to 400 years and in recent months one of the least active - will enable the prime minister to put a fresh domestic programme in front of MPs for debate and scrutiny while also ensuring that there is good time before and after the European Council for Parliament to further consider Brexit issues.

"Votes on the Queen’s Speech are likely to fall on Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 October."

BBC Radio 5 Live

Peter Bone - a Conservative MP and prominent Leave campaigner - tells BBC Radio 5 Live he is "extremely comfortable" with Mr Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament - and claims the decision is about "resetting Parliament" rather than Brexit.

"This isn't effort to avoid stopping a no-deal Brexit - if the government wanted to do that they would have had to suspend Parliament until after the 31 October," he says.

Mr Bone says that, as Parliament goes into recess for party conferences at the end of September anyway, MPs are only losing two sitting days in the Commons next month.

He adds: "Whatever it is, it is not an attempt to stop no-deal Brexit.

"There has to be a Queen's Speech... why we need one is it resets the session. At the moment there are no private members' bills, there are no opposition days, because they've run out because the session's been so long.

"As soon as we have a new session of Parliament, we'll get 13 private members' Fridays and the opposition days will be restored."

Jonny Dymond
BBC royal correspondent

Image source, Reuters

It will be impossible for the Queen to turn down the prime minister's request.

The Queen acts on the advice of her prime minister.

While many, many people may be upset that Parliament is not going to sit at such time, precedent is on the side of those making this decision.

The idea is these things are settled in the Palace of Westminster, not Buckingham Palace.

The Queen has very little wriggle room to make any kind of political decision.