Page QQQ Daily Mail, Thursday, August 29, 2019
BATTLE FOR BREXIT
FURY AT CORBYN’S
with the Queen’s assent, were
‘being set directly against the
wishes of a majority of the House
of Commons’.
Mr Corbyn described the
proposal as ‘completely unaccept-
able’, adding that it would ‘deprive
the electorate of the opportunity
to have their representatives
hold the Government to account,
make any key decisions, and
ensure that there is a lawful basis
for action taken’.
In a letter to Her Majesty, Mr
Corbyn added: ‘In the circum-
stances, as the leader of the official
Opposition, on behalf of all my
party members and many other
members of Parliament, I request
you to grant me a meeting along
with other Privy Counsellors, as a
matter of urgency, and before any
final decision is taken.’
Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swin-
son made a similar request to the
Queen, as did former Tory minister
Anna Soubry.
Downing Street said the decision
to suspend Parliament in the run-
up to a Queen’s Speech repre-
sented ‘the normal functioning of
our constitution’. Officials also
pointed out that Parliament is cur-
rently mired in the longest session
since the English Civil War.
Buckingham Palace declined to
comment on the demands from MrCorbyn – but Palace sources were
quick to stress last night that the
Queen always strived to remain
politically neutral.
It is understood that Mr CorbynJEREMY Corbyn has launched an
extraordinary attempt to drag the
Queen into the politics of Brexit.
In an unprecedented move, the
Labour leader yesterday demanded a
meeting with Her Majesty in order to
halt Boris Johnson’s plan to temporar-
ily suspend Parliament next month.
Mr Corbyn reacted with fury after
the Prime Minister announced that Parlia-
ment would be prorogued in the week
beginning September 9, to allow for a
Queen’s Speech on October 14.
He said there was a danger that the
Royal prerogative powers, which allow
the Prime Minister to suspend Parliament
‘She has done
the right thing’After she grants
Boris’s request
to shut down
Parliament,
Labour leader
insists she meet
with HIM to
reconsider
‘unacceptable’
suspension
and Miss Swinson are likely to
receive a response from Her Maj-
esty. However while there was no
guidance on the contents of the
letter – as it would be private cor-
respondence – it is likely to do lit-
tle more than remind them of the
Queen’s neutrality.
Yesterday afternoon, the Palace
confirmed that she had signed off
Mr Johnson’s request following an
emergency meeting of the Privy
Council at Balmoral, where she is
taking her annual holiday.
Commons leader Jacob Rees-
Mogg, Lords leader Baroness
Evans and chief whip Mark Spen-
cer flew to Balmoral for the meet-
ing yesterday morning, allowingthe decision to be signed off before
the controversy gathered steam.
Constitutional experts pointed
out that the Queen has a duty to
act on the advice of her prime min-
ister. Former Cabinet secretary
Lord O’Donnell said: ‘The Queen
had no choice. She has done
exactly the right thing. It is really
important that we keep the Queen
above politics.’
Former Conservative leader Iain
Duncan Smith said Mr Corbyn was
wrong to try to drag the Queen
into politics and mocked his
attempt to do so. Mr Duncan
Smith said: ‘The idea that the
Queen should overrule her prime
minister on something as routineBy Jason Groves
Political Editor
Respectful:
Mr Johnson
meeting the
Queen last
monthRoyal message: The notification that suspends Parliament,
signed by the clerk of the Privy Council Richard TilbrookFury: Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn