SOUTH West Wiltshire MP and Foreign Office Secretary of State Dr Andrew Murrison has urged MPs and the European Union to back Prime Minister Boris Johnson's efforts to negotiate a deal before the UK leaves Europe.

He has spent the past week in Oman, UAE and Saudi Arabia meeting prominent figures, including Yemen’s President Hadi.

Dr Murrison said: "I’ve just got back from a week in the Gulf region talking to my ministerial oppos and others, mainly about the crisis in Yemen. Meanwhile back home rather a lot has been going in British politics.

"The current session of parliament is one of the longest on record. Arguably prorogation and a refreshed government plan articulated in the normal way in a Queen’s Speech is way overdue. That’s particularly the case given the change of government.

"Nothing that has been done is unconstitutional or contrary to normal parliamentary procedure.

"Those who are trying to frustrate Brexit are predictably claiming that it’s a scandalous abuse, that it’s antidemocratic, a ruse to ensure the UK leaves the EU on October 31 despite their best efforts.

"That’s a bit rich given that by their own admission they’ve been using every trick in the book to reverse the decision made by the people in June 2016.

"These folks are intent on continuing to act in this way and the Speaker has indicated that he will help, an odd take on impartiality you may think.

"So we will now have the long-delayed Queens Speech in which I look forward to a slate of new policies on all the issues that affect my constituents’ lives - health, education, law and order and so on.

"As far as I can see this will also leave plenty of time before October 31 to debate Brexit. Beyond all the huff and puff and theatrical outrage of those unreconciled to Brexit is the truth - by my calculation the prorogation announced this week shaves off just six days of debating opportunity.

"I sincerely hope the EU will now offer a deal that can get through the Commons. That’s in all of our interests . However, it has to know that if it refuses the UK will leave on WTO terms on October 31."

In the Middle East, Dr Murrison, who is Minister of State at the Foreign Office and the Department for International Development, had back to back meetings to discuss the current crisis in Yemen and a range of regional and bilateral issues.

Returning on Tuesday (Sept 2), Dr Murrison said: “The Yemen situation is multilayered and complex. The solution is clearly political, not military, demanding negotiation and dialogue.

"In the meantime, international donors must urgently support the hard pressed, long suffering people of Yemen who are living life on the edge.”