Queen ‘not happy at being dragged into Brexit row'
1 min read
The Queen is ‘not happy’ at being expected to respond to a Commons debate on Brexit, it has been reported.
According to the Telegraph, Buckingham Palace is concerned that the monarch will have to respond after Labour attempted to force Ministers to publish Brexit impact studies in the Commons last night.
Labour MPs used a parliamentary convention, known as a ‘humble address,’ which is binding on the Government but is normally for debating non-controversial topics such as welcoming the Queen’s diamond jubilee.
Last night the Conservatives abstained during the vote, which demanded that economic impact assessment reports be handed over to the cross-party Brexit Committee.
However, Commons Speaker John Bercow told MPs he regarded the motion as "binding" and said that he would "expect" the Government to now release the documents.
According to parliamentary protocol, the Queen should now respond.
One senior Government source told the newspaper: “The Palace is not happy. It risks dragging the crown into political issues.
“It is a concern. The Crown has to respond. There are concerns at the Palace about using a procedure to address non-controversial issues in a controversial way.”
But a Palace spokesman rejected the idea that the Queen would be forced to intervene, saying: “Parliamentary procedures are a matter for Parliament.”
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