Boris Johnson denies lying to Queen over prorogation
The Prime Minister has denied lying to the Queen about the reasons for proroguing parliament.
Boris Johnson told reporters claims that it was “absolutely not” true he had made a false representation to Her Majesty when he sough the five-week suspension.
Yesterday a Scottish court argued that the prorogation was “unlawful” and that the principal reasons for sending MPs away was not in the run-up to a new Queen’s Speec but rather “to allow the executive to pursue a policy of no deal Brexit without further parliamentary interference”.
The case will now held to the UK Supreme Court next Tuesday.
During a visit to HMS Belfast in London today, Johnson said: “The High Court in England plainly agrees with us, but the Supreme Court will have to decide. We need a Queen’s Speech, we need to get on and do all sorts of things at a national level.”
He added: “Parliament will have time, both before and after that crucial summit on 17-18 October. We’re working very hard… I think we can see the rough area of a landing space, of how you do it. It will be tough, it will be hard, but I think we can get there.”
The rumours are increasingly that Number 10 plans to make proposals around an all-Ireland arrangement, at least for agri-foods, after Johnson’s comments in Dublin on Monday.
But any suggestion that this would be a Northern Ireland-only backstop in all but name will infuriate unionists, particularly the Conservative’s confidence and supply partners the DUP. It is also likely to provoke a rebellion from the more ardent Eurosceptics and members of the ERG.
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