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The Queen and Brexit

Discussion in 'Politics, Religion and Ethics' started by Markham, Dec 28, 2016.

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  1. Markham
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    Markham Guest

    [​IMG]
    'I'm sorry you were upset, Ma'am. But there were parts of your Christmas speech we felt it prudent to edit out'

    So the Queen hosts a private lunch for Privy Counsellors at Windsor Castle in 2011 attended by, among others, Michael Gove and Nick Clegg. During the meal, Her Majesty reportedly told Nick Clegg that she believed the EU was headed in the wrong direction and added "I don’t see why we can’t just get out. What’s the problem?". She had apparently made similar critical remarks about the EU a few years earlier at a reception for MPs held at Buckingham Palace.

    On 9th March of this year, the Sun newspaper broke the story under the banner headline "Queen Backs Brexit" and quoted unnamed sources revealing the monarch's view as expressed at the Privy Council luncheon. There then began a witch-hunt to find who was responsible for leaking the story and an IPSO investigation prompted by a complaint from the Palace.

    Five months later Nick Clegg accused Michael Gove in August according an article published by the Independent: "Michael Gove obviously communicated it," Mr Clegg told a BBC documentary on Brexit. "Well I know he did, he gave this to The Sun". This accusation, however, contradicted statements Clegg had made at the time of the Sun's scoop. At that time, Clegg had claimed that said conversation with the Queen did not happen. And, if it did not happen, Gove could not have leaked it.

    Enter Laura Kuenssberg, the BBC's Political Editor. Over Christmas she revealed that she too had been told of the Queen's remarks at that Privy Council lunch: "In a casual chat with one of my contacts, they said: Do you know what? At some point this is going to come out, and I’m telling you now and I don’t know if the BBC would touch it, but the Queen told people at a private lunch that she thinks that we should leave the EU. Apparently at this lunch she said ‘I don’t see why we can’t just get out. What’s the problem?’ My jaw hit the floor. Very sadly, I only had one source. I spent the next few days trying to prove it. I couldn’t find the evidence. Lo and behold, a couple of months later, someone else did. Of course then ensued a huge row between that newspaper and the Palace over what had really been said or not said." The BBC could not use their story as under its editorial guidelines it needed two independent sources; they only had one.

    If Clegg has any decency, he will make a fulsome apology to Her Majesty for claiming her conversation never took place - when it clearly had.
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 28, 2016
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  2. Aromulus
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    Aromulus The Don Staff Member

    You have more chance for a savoy cabbage to jump up and bite you in the bum, than Cleggy apologising for anything apart from something to do with slavery 300 years ago
  3. Timmers
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    Timmers Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    It is obvious to me that Clegg is a very untrustworthy character who is more than at ease spouting his lies in the media, he doesn't kid anyone, that was made clear in the last General Election where he lost his party all but a handful of seats.

    I think we all knew that the Queen would be in support of Brexit :)
  4. Aromulus
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    Aromulus The Don Staff Member

    I really like the old berd......
    She's as though as nails, and she would call a spade a spade if only political correctness wasn't about.
  5. Timmers
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    Timmers Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    Interesting to see that the BBC was not comfortable with the story, its difficult to see how the media will play this story, if they make too much of a story about it then it will cause embarrassment to the Queen as she is supposed to be politically neutral in the public eye.

    I wonder if we will hear a statement from the Royal Family, a very craftily put together statement?
  6. Markham
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    Markham Guest

    I agree, Tim, that the Queen probably would be in favour of Brexit. She holds the Commonwealth in very high regard, she wants Britain to be more actively involved trade-wise and for the organisation to survive. She is aware that Britain can not enter trade deals with other Commonwealth countries whilst a member of the Single Market and, given her pro-Commonwealth preference, she would be bound to favour Brexit.
  7. knightstrike
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    knightstrike Well-Known Member

    Personally, I would like for the UK to build stronger ties with the Commonwealth countries instead.
    The UK shares more similarities with Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etcetera.

    Bring back the colonies! Hahahahaha..
  8. Jim
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    Jim Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    We had Manila for a short time too :D
  9. knightstrike
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    knightstrike Well-Known Member

    Doesn't count. The UK just went for raiding and pillage. Hahahah...
  10. Jim
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    Jim Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    and some of the Brits deserted and fled to Taytay and settled down in the Philippines.
  11. Markham
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    Markham Guest

    This story just won't go away, its non-departure assisted by further statements by the Lib Dem's king of the flip-flop, Nick Clegg. Journalist Kevin Maguire’s column in the New Statesman recently disclosed "Nick Clegg, who was also at the infamous 2011 Windsor Castle lunch, maintains that Her Majesty was merely grumpy about Europe and regretted the eclipse of the Commonwealth".

    But last Thursday night, Clegg reacted to a Sun story which quoted from Maguire's column by tweeting "Here we go again. Sun story not true. I didn't speak to Maguire and I didn't tell friends Queen was grumpy."

    The Sun's political editor, Tom Newton Dunn, asked why Clegg’s spokesman refused to make that denial on the record, to which Clegg did not reply. "@nick_clegg Another non-denial denial Nick. Are you denying @Kevin_Maguire's report you're now admitting she did complain about EU to you?"

    Tsk tsk.
  12. Timmers
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    Timmers Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    The problem with Clegg is that he is extremely comfortable with telling lies, I honestly believe he believes his own lies.
  13. Markham
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    Markham Guest

    Unfortunately for the many decent Lib Dem supporters like our Andrew, they are betrayed by a politician who brazenly lies. Here he is on the BBC's Daily Politics claiming that none of the Leave campaigners mentioned that leaving the EU also meant leaving the Single Market:


    Too bad that Andrew Neil's production company had assembled a montage of clips of both Leave and Remain campaigners stating exactly that!
  14. Timmers
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    Timmers Well-Known Member Trusted Member

    Don't you just love it when Clegg is proved wrong, everyman and his dog knew we would be leaving the single market, that's all remain harped on about.
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