PETE Wishart has condemned the Conservatives for “actively considering suspending democracy” after a Tory leadership hopeful said he would be prepared to suspend Parliament to ensure Brexit takes place.

Former UK Brexit secretary Dominic Raab has refused to rule out proroguing Parliament – bringing an end to the session – to prevent MPs blocking the UK's withdrawal.

Hardline Brexiteers have suggested prorogation could be used as a mechanism to prevent MPs blocking a no-deal exit from the European Union on October 31 – something which the Tory leader of the House of Commons failed to rule out.

SNP MP Wishart pushed new leader of the House Mel Stride on the issue, which was raised during hustings for the Tory leadership contest.

"There is one thing that has come out of their hustings so far and that is this suggestion that this Parliament could be prorogued to facilitate a no-deal Brexit,” he said during a session in the Commons.

"The first thing this leader of the House has to say this morning is that this subversion of democracy will never be considered or entertained, and that he has no intention of suspending democracy in this country to facilitate that no-deal Brexit."

Stride replied: "Prorogation is of course, ultimately, in the gift of the Queen.

"And what I would say is I do think that Her Majesty should be kept out of the politics of our Parliament, and I am sure that will be a matter that will be at the forefront of those who toy with those decisions in the future."

Stride’s answers failed to satisfy the chamber, and after the questions and answer session was over Wishart raised a point of order on the subject.

The MP for Perth and North Perthshire said he had "listened very carefully" to the minister's remarks after being asked three times about proroguing Parliament, adding: "And I didn't actually think that I heard him ruling out such a prospect."

Afterwards, he tweeted: “The new Leader of the House refusing to rule out an early prorogue of Parliament to get a no deal Brexit through.

“The Tories are actively considering suspending democracy to bring economic ruin to the UK.”

Other critics said the approach would be "a coup against Parliament" and Tory leadership contender Matt Hancock called on all his rivals to rule it out.

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In the Commons, Speaker John Bercow insisted he would not allow MPs to be sidelined.

"Parliament will not be evacuated from the centre stage of the decision-making process on this important matter," he said. "That's simply not going to happen."

Parliamentary expert Hannah White, deputy director of the Institute for Government, said the move "would amount to a coup against Parliament and risk bringing the Queen into a terrible conflict".

She added: "The implication of Raab's refusal to rule out this strategy is that he thinks it would potentially be legitimate to suspend Parliament, not simply to let the Article 50 clock run down but to prevent MPs from making a decision he knows they would want to take.

"This would be extremely controversial, particularly in these circumstances because the Government does not have a majority.

"Asking the Queen to give effect to this strategy would draw her into a massive political debate – something which Number 10 and the Palace are normally at great pains to avoid."

White suggested that Buckingham Palace "would look for ways to limit the Queen being drawn into the process", possibly by delaying long enough to allow Parliament the opportunity to prevent prorogation.

One way could be through a no-confidence motion to bring down the Government.

She said: "The effect of attempting to prorogue Parliament to pursue a no-deal policy to which it has thus far been firmly opposed would likely be to prompt an election. That may even be the intention."

Leadership contender Rory Stewart said proroguing Parliament would be "unlawful, undemocratic, and unachievable" and "the idea itself is profoundly offensive to our liberty, constitution and traditions".

Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said: "I think it's outrageous to consider proroguing Parliament. We are not Stuart kings."

But a supporter of Raab said: "Dominic made clear that he would use every lever of the executive to ensure that the UK can leave the EU at the end of October."

Ruling out a no-deal Brexit or seeking an extension beyond October 31 meant "weakening our negotiating leverage in Brussels", the source said.