West Dorset MP Sir Oliver Letwin has joined a chorus of outrage over plans by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to suspend Parliament ahead of the Brexit deadline.

The move, however, was defended by South Dorset MP Richard Drax who called it perfectly legitimate.

Mr Johnson wants to temporarily shut down Parliament ahead of a Queen's Speech on October 14 to lay out the government's plan for new legislation.

The Prime Minister said it was "completely untrue" that Brexit was the motivation for the move, insisting it was time for a new session of Parliament to set out his "exciting agenda".

Under the PM's plan Parliament will be shut down from around September 11 until the state opening on October 14.

The move led to accusations Mr Johnson was acting like a "tin pot dictator" and dragging the monarch into a bitter constitutional row.

Commons Speaker John Bercow said he had not been consulted about the move, which he labelled a "constitutional outrage".

Downing Street sources insisted only around four Commons sitting days would be lost due to the suspension of Parliament before the speech, a move known as prorogation.

The Prime Minister said there would be "ample time" for MPs to debate Brexit either side of a crunch EU summit on October 17.

West Dorset MP Sir Oliver Letwin said: "This is not a proper way to proceed.

"I expect that Parliament will respond in the only way it can: by legislating next week, before it is prorogued, to prevent a disorderly, undemocratic no deal exit on 31 October. I shall certainly be supporting that effort.”

South Dorset MP Richard Drax said: "People must remember the House would rise for three weeks anyway in September for the party conference season so there would be some time when MPs are absent."

He added: "What the Prime Minister has done is perfectly legitimate, procedure wise. It's his call.

"The important thing is we leave the EU on October 31, we can't afford for this to go on any longer - we have to get it across the line."

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell described the Prime Minister's move as a "very British coup".

Former chancellor Philip Hammond, who is opposed to a no-deal Brexit, said: "It would be a constitutional outrage if Parliament were prevented from holding the government to account at a time of national crisis."

Edward Morello, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for West Dorset said “Brexit extremists in the Conservative party are hell-bent on forcing the United Kingdom out of the European Union with no deal, regardless of the negative impact it will have on our economy and the unity of the country.

"Proroguing Parliament under the guise of a Queen’s Speech is their latest attempt to usurp the democratic principles this country is based on.”

Meanwhile, the Bishop of Salisbury, is one of 25 bishops who have today signed an open letter that calls for “all voices in the Brexit debate to be heard.”

The Rt Revd Nicholas Holtam says the letter, which was written before the Prime Minister asked the Queen to suspend Parliament, “sets out some of what is involved in loving our neighbour in the present very testing circumstances”.

Written in the light of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s conditional agreement to chair a Citizens Forum, the letter says that the Bishops are “seeing the evidence of division in every part of England” and goes on to list a series of areas they are “deeply concerned about”.

These include the “political polarisation and language that appears to sanction hate crime”; “the ease with which lies can be told and misrepresentation encouraged” and  “the levels of fear, uncertainty and marginalisation in society“

The Bishops write: “We hold different views about Brexit and how our country should proceed from here. However, although we agree that respecting a public vote is essential, democracy and committed debate do not end after the counting of votes”

They add: “Churches serve communities of every shape, size and complexion. We continue to serve, regardless of political persuasion. We invite politicians to pay attention with us to the concerns we register above and encourage a recovery of civil debate and reconciliation”

Commenting on the letter, Bishop Nicholas said: “This crisis gives us both a moment of judgement and an opportunity. We urgently need to find new ways of talking with each other so as to seek the common good and live with our differences. That is why I welcome the Archbishop of Canterbury’s conditional agreement to chair a Citizens Forum. Christians seek to love God and love our neighbour.

“This joint letter sets out some of what is involved in loving our neighbour in the present very testing circumstances. We have to work with our political processes, take great care to tell the truth, care for the poor and listen to each other, especially to those who feel themselves to be marginalised”

Bishop Nicholas is a co-signatory with the other 24 bishops, led by the Bishop of Leeds, the Rt Revd Nick Baines.