Queen bid ‘ridiculous’

SENDING the Queen to the EU to request an extension to Brexit and prevent a no-deal being forced through by the next prime minister is a “ridiculous idea”, a former Supreme Court justice has said.

Lord Sumption criticised the notion after it was reported that senior Tories have touted using a parliamentary device known as a humble address to get the monarch to act.

The suggestion is an example of the extraordinary resistance front-runner Boris Johnson may face if he attempts to force through a deal-less departure against the will of MPs.

Newsnight reported that the Queen could be asked to exercise her right as head of state to travel to the next EU summit and seek a delay to Brexit if the next PM ignored a vote rejecting no-deal. Lord Sumption told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I agree, it’s a ridiculous idea. I think, first of all, that MPs putting forward a particular point of view should pipe down on the question of bringing the Queen in because that very fact puts her in an awkward position and makes it more difficult for her and reduces her options.”

He also called for the Queen to have a source of advice independent of the Government on the limits of ministers’ powers.

Lord Sumption, who has retired from the top court, said the constitutional basis on which the Queen must listen to the Privy Council is that the Government commands a majority in the Commons, which it does not.

“So, using the powers of the crown to defeat the majority is a very strange idea.

“But we’re in an entirely new territory,” he said.