CAMPAIGNERS have called for the UK Parliament to change its rules so MPs can debate the royal family without any restrictions.
Current practice places limits on the questions MPs can ask about members of the family, which anti-monarchy group Republic claims makes scrutiny “almost impossible”.
The call comes after revelations about Prince Andrew's relationship with an alleged Chinese spy.
Republic CEO, Graham Smith, said: "It is intolerable that MPs do not have complete freedom to debate individual members of the royal family. Our Parliament must be free to debate anything, without fear or favour."
In 2022, Keir Starmer fell foul of parliamentary rules when questioning then-prime minister Boris Johnson because he mentioned the Queen in a question.
He said: “Last year, Her Majesty the Queen sat alone when she marked the passing of the man she had been married to for 73 years.
“She followed the rules of the country that she leads. On the eve of that funeral, a suitcase was filled with booze and wheeled into Downing Street. A DJ played and staff partied late into the night.
“The Prime Minister has been forced to hand an apology to Her Majesty the Queen. Isn’t he ashamed that he didn’t hand in his resignation at the same time?”
Speaker Lindsay Hoyle (below) then intervened to say: “We normally would not, and quite rightly, mention the Royal family. We don’t get into discussions on the Royal family.”
Erskine May’s guide to parliamentary practice – a document which sets out the observed rules of the House – states: “No question can be put which brings the name of the Sovereign or the influence of the Crown directly before Parliament, or which casts reflections upon the Sovereign or the royal family.”
“Questions are, however, allowed on such matters as the costs to public funds of royal events and royal palaces.”
This basically means that unless a question concerns how taxpayer money is used to support the royals, MPs cannot ask it.
May was a Clerk of the Commons between 1871 and 1886, and wrote the book on parliamentary procedure.
Smith said it is “appalling” MPs are not free to debate the royals whenever they choose.
"Andrew is only the most obvious target for parliamentary scrutiny. But Charles and William have questions to answer about their questionable choice of friends, their secrecy and their abuse of public money,” Smith said.
"It is appalling that MPs are not free to debate the royals whenever they choose to do so, but are told there are questions they cannot ask, issues they cannot raise.
"The monarchy is protected by official secrecy and deference. That has to end, and our elected representatives must be free to challenge the corruption the royals hide in plain sight."
After Starmer was reprimanded for his question, Republic did write to the Speaker to clarify the rights of MPs to discuss the royals in Parliament.
Hoyle said in response there was no “general prohibition” on discussing matters relating to the royals in the Commons and press coverage has “rather confused the issue”.
The Speaker clarified that a key issue was not allowing MPs to claim a royal supported their view.
Smith said back then the bigger problem “is the unwillingness of MPs to talk about the monarchy”.
It has emerged over the weekend that Prince Andrew invited an alleged Chinese spy to Buckingham Palace.
The man – who was banned from Britain by the Government on national security grounds – visited Buckingham Palace twice, and also entered St James’s Palace and Windsor Castle at the invitation of Prince Andrew, The Times reported.
On Friday, the duke said he “ceased all contact” with the businessman accused of being a Chinese spy when concerns were first raised about him.
