I did not lie to Queen about the prorogation, PM insists
BORIS Johnson yesterday denied misleading the Queen about his reasons for triggering an early Parliamentary break.
The Prime Minister faced questions about his discussions with the palace after a Scottish court ruled his five-week prorogation was illegal.
Judges at the Court of Session in Edinburgh declared his request was obtained for the “improper purpose of stymying Parliament” – but the Mr Johnson rejected the claim.
When asked whether he had lied to the Queen in order to obtain the prorogation, he yesterday replied: “Absolutely not.”
Mr Johnson pointed out that the High Court in London had taken the opposite view to the Scottish Court and that the case would now be decided in the Supreme Court next week.
Opposition parties have claimed the prorogation – which effectively lengthens Parliament’s traditional autumn break – was requested in a bid to shut down Brexit debate.
But Mr Johnson remains confident a new deal could be agreed at the EU summit on October 17 and 18. “I’m very hopeful that we will get a deal at that crucial summit,” he said. “We’re working very hard – I’ve been around the European capitals talking to our friends.
“I think we can see the rough area of a landing space, of how you can do it. It will be tough, it will be hard but I think we can get there.”
The Prime Minister also insisted he had no quarrel with the Court of Session judges who ruled the prorogation was unlawful, after No10 sources were quoted as saying the Scottish courts were “politically biased”. Mr Johnson said: “The British judiciary, the United Kingdom judiciary, is one of the great glories of our constitution – they are independent.
“Believe me, around the world people look at our judges with awe and admiration so I’m not going to quarrel or criticise the judges.”
Separate legal actions against the Government’s Brexit strategy were thrown out by the High Court in Belfast yesterday.
Lord Justice Bernard McCloskey dismissed the trio of challenges – which were heard as one case in Belfast High Court – insisting the issues raised by all three touched on political matters that the courts should not intervene on.
In an unusual move, three Appeal Court judges sat within minutes of the High Court ruling as lawyers raced against time to try and secure a route to the Supreme Court.
Raymond McCord, whose son was murdered by loyalist paramilitaries in 1997, and two other applicants had argued that a no-deal Brexit would damage the Northern Ireland peace process.
“The fight goes on,” Mr McCord said outside court.