Has the time come for Parliament to increase its efforts in holding the Royal Family to account? Lord Foulkes, a former Junior Minister for Labour and current peer in the House of Lords believes so – and he’s taking steps to advance his cause.
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Prince Andrew scandal could force Parliament rule change
Later this week, Foulkes will meet the Head of the HoL Administration to outline various concerns about the Royals. Simon Burton will be asked to relax current Parliamentary rules, which only allow a set of specific questions to be asked about the monarchy.
Foulkes is aiming to secure a change to the guidelines, which will allow MPs to go beyond asking about taxpayer burdens. Instead, items such as the activities of Prince Andrew would be up for discussion – which forms a focal point of the peer’s case.
Royals could face more intense scrutiny if Labour peer gets his way
The disgraced Prince has found himself under renewed fire this week, after it transpired that he was still in touch with the notorious paedophile Jeffrey Epstein a year after he previously claimed all contact had been ceased between the pair.
Having previously made this argument during his disastrous appearance on Newsnight in 2019, any credibility left for his defence has been weakened even further. In the years that followed, Andrew was embroiled in a bitter legal battle with one his accusers.
Labour could lead charge to question the likes of Prince Andrew in Parliament
He eventually settled with a £12.5 million agreement – a move which also cast on doubt over his claims of innocence. The rogue royal has since been stood down from all official duties, which Lord Foulkes believes should pave the way for further scrutiny:
“I was particularly concerned about where public money is spent. There is very great sensitivity in parliament and particularly in the House of Lords, as you would expect, and a lot of deference to the monarch, which is understandable in many ways.”
“Where does the royal family stop? All the grandchildren, the cousins, the nieces, the nephews … It’s not defined. The restriction can be used in relation to any of them. Do the rules apply to Andrew, who is no longer a working member of the family?” | Lord Foulkes