Boris Johnson Refuses To Comment On Proroguing Parliament

17 July 2019, 20:33

At the final Conservative leadership hustings, Boris Johnson refused to if he would hold a Queen's speech so he can prorogue Parliament before Brexit.

LBC's Iain Dale asked Conservative leadership hopeful Boris Johnson when he intended to introduce a Queen's speech.

The Tory MP said he was "not going to comment on our program," but said his priority was to "get Brexit done" on the October the 31st deadline.

Iain Dale said that this session of Parliament was the longest one he could remember, adding it is "normal to have a Queen's speech at the beginning of November," adding it would be a "convenient time."

Normally Parliament is prorogued before the Queen's speech is presented.

Mr Johnson said: "Iain I think you are a brilliant political journalist, and I congratulate you on your acumen on this point, and I'm not going to descend from you."

The LBC presenter said his point was that normally before the Queen's speech, Parliament was prorogued.

In reply, Mr Johnson said: "Do I think that MPs are now psychologically ready to get this thing over the line?"

He said that the Conservative Party was ready to achieve Brexit, because "we're staring down the barrel."

He told an audience at the Excel that the Conservative Party has seen "hundreds of thousands of votes haemorrhage away to the Liberal Democrats and to the Brexit Party."

He added that the same goes for the Labour Party.

Watch the whole exchange in the video at the top of the page, or click here to watch the whole Tory leadership hustings.