Boris Johnson says it is 'absolutely' not true he misled Queen over prorogation

Boris Johnson has said it is “absolutely not true” that he misled the Queen over his reasons for suspending parliament, after a Scottish court ruled his suspension unlawful because he did it to stop MPs scrutinising Brexit.

The prime minister previously insisted he sought the suspension so that the government could set out a new legislative programme in a Queen’s speech on 14 October, but the court said the prorogation was obtained for the “improper purpose of stymying parliament”.

On Thursday, in his first comments since the judgment, Johnson said the high court in London had taken an opposing view and it was for the supreme court to make a final adjudication.

Asked whether he had lied to the monarch in order to obtain the prorogation, Johnson replied: “Absolutely not.” He added: “The high court in England plainly agrees with us but the supreme court will have to decide. We need a Queen’s speech, we need to get on and do all sorts of things at a national level.”

However, the London court, on 6 September, had made no ruling on the truthfulness of his reason for the prorogation, simply saying it was a lawful move because suspension of parliament was within the prime minister’s powers regardless of motive.

Johnson also sought to play down an argument about the role of Scottish judges in ruling prorogation lawful after Kwasi Kwarteng, the business minister, claimed “many people” thought judges were biased in relation to Brexit.

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