Boris Johnson says he didn’t lie to the Queen

Prime minister Boris Johnson - Credit: PA

Boris Johnson has denied lying to the Queen in order to secure the suspension of parliament.

Scotland’s highest civil court ruled has that the five-week prorogation was unlawful because it was obtained for the “improper purpose of stymying parliament”.

However, the prime minister insisted he had sought the suspension so that the government could set out a new legislative programme in a Queen’s Speech on October 14.

Opposition MPs have argued that the real reason was to stop parliament holding the government to account over its Brexit plans.

But, asked during a visit to mark London International Shipping Week whether he had lied to the monarch in order to obtain the prorogation, Johnson replied: “Absolutely not.”

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He said the High Court in England had taken the opposite view to the Court of Session in Edinburgh and that the case would now be decided in the Supreme Court.

“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,” he said.