EXPERTS say the Queen could be drawn into the bitter Brexit battle after Tory leadership contender Dominic Raab said he would be prepared to suspend Parliament to ensure the UK leaves the EU.
The former Brexit secretary refused to rule out proroguing Parliament – bringing an end to the session – to stop MPs blocking the UK’s withdrawal.
Formally it is the monarch who prorogues Parliament and asking the Queen to endorse such a move would create a constitutional crisis.
Hardline Brexiteers have suggested prorogation could be used as a mechanism to prevent MPs blocking a no-deal exit from the European Union on October 31. But critics said the approach would be “a coup against Parliament” and Tory leadership contender Matt Hancock called on all his rivals to rule it out.
In the Commons, Speaker John Bercow insisted he would not allow MPs to be sidelined. He said: “Parliament will not be evacuated from the centre stage of the decision-making process on this important matter. That’s simply not going to happen.”
Commons Leader Mel Stride, who is backing Michael Gove for the leadership, said: “I do think that Her Majesty should be kept out of the politics of our Parliament, and I am sure that will be a matter that will be at the forefront of those who toy with those decisions in the future.”
Parliamentary expert Hannah White, deputy director of the Institute for Government, said the move “would amount to a coup against Parliament and risk bringing the Queen into a terrible conflict”.
She added: “The implication of Raab’s refusal to rule out this strategy is that he thinks it would potentially be legitimate to suspend Parliament, not simply to let the Article 50 clock run down but to prevent MPs from making a decision he knows they would want to take.
“This would be extremely controversial, particularly in these circumstances because the Government does not have a majority. Asking the Queen to give effect to this would draw her into a massive political debate – something Number 10 and the Palace are normally at great pains to avoid.”
White suggested Buckingham Palace “would look for ways to limit the Queen being drawn into the process”, possibly by delaying long enough to allow Parliament the opportunity to prevent prorogation.
One way could be through a no-confidence motion to bring down the Government.
Leadership contender Rory Stewart said proroguing Parliament would be “unlawful, undemocratic, and unachievable”.
Meanwhile, it was announced that the leadership candidates will undergo at least a dozen hustings before the winner enters Downing Street at the end of July.
Under rules set by leading figures from the 1922 Committee, Tory MPs will whittle down the final two candidates to go into a run-off decided by the party’s 160,000 membership by June 20.
The new prime minister is then expected to be appointed in the week beginning July 22.
May formally steps down as leader today but will remain acting leader until a successor is appointed.
Andrea Leadsom has said yesterday that she would declare a climate emergency if she became prime minister.
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