"It happens every year", UK minister says of suspending parliament

Britain's defense secretary Ben Wallace said on Thursday that the suspension of parliament is an annual occurrence, as he arrived in Helsinki for talks with his European Union counterparts.

"It happens every year," Wallace told reporters when asked about the government's controversial move on Wednesday to prorogue parliament. The move has sparked outrage among opposition lawmakers and many others in Britain, and led to a sharp weakening in sterling as it was seen as increasing the risk of a no-deal Brexit.