Parliamentary rules forbid debates about the conduct of royals, which some consider a fig leaf for inaction
The shocking new allegations about the extent of Prince Andrew’s connections with Jeffery Epstein have dominated front pages and airwaves but there is one powerful institution which is effectively barred from discussing it – parliament.
There is growing disquiet among MPs about strict guidance that means the disgraced royal cannot be the subject of any parliamentary debate – including whether he can be formally stripped of his titles.
Stephen Flynn, the SNP leader at Westminster, pushed on Monday for the government to bring forward its own motion to strip Prince Andrew of his title, saying there was “no justification” for inaction. The Labour MP Rachael Maskell also backed calls for legislation, but parliamentary rules mean that individual MPs cannot raise it themselves without facing sanction.
There may be a small loophole for MPs to ask about the funding of royal residences – Andrew still has use of the 30-room Royal Lodge, which is owned by the crown estate and for which he has a private tenancy agreement – but any debate is very likely to be tightly restrained.
