Brexit: Boris Johnson being undermined by 'shenanigans', says Dodds

The North Belfast MP said the Supreme Court decision will not change the "fundamentals" of Brexit.

The DUP deputy leader has described events in the House of Commons as "shenanigans".

Nigel Dodds made the comments as MPs debated the Supreme Court's ruling that the suspension of parliament was unlawful.

He said that a decision from the Supreme Court will not change the "fundamentals" of Brexit.

Mr Dodds added that the government needs to deliver on the referendum, but should do so "ideally" with a deal.

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The North Belfast MP said the "shenanigans" in the Commons is "undermining" the prime minister, making a no-deal more likely.

Speaking in the lengthy Commons debate the Prime Minster Boris Johnson was in unapologetic form.

The prime minister told MPs that he accepted the decision but he believed the Supreme Court was wrong.

He rejected a claim from the North Down MP Lady Hermon that he had been "arrogant" in his attitude to the UK Supreme Court.

Independent unionist Lady Hermon

The Independent MP said she was "shocked " when she heard Boris Johnson saying that the Supreme Court was wrong.

He told the chamber that the judges were wrong "to pronounce on a political question".

The prime minister claimed he had made progress in discussing alternatives to the Brexit border backstop, but agreed with Nigel Dodds that the tactics of his opponents had not made the search for a deal any easier.

In a debate that was at times quite boisterous he urged opposition parties to support a general election.

'Not fit for office'

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told the prime minister he was "not fit for office" and should have resigned following the Supreme Court's verdict.

Other MPs also rounded on Mr Johnson for his lack of contrition following the unanimous defeat for the government in the court.

Labour's Rachel Reeves said Wednesday's events in parliament had been "an horrendous spectacle".

Jess Phillips, also of Labour, said the prime minister's response to the court judgement looked "horrendous" to the public and he should apologise.

The Scottish National Party's Joanna Cherry - who was one of the lawyers who led the court challenge against the suspension or "prorogation" - said the house had been "treated to the sort of populist rant one expects to hear from a tin-pot dictatorship".