Johnson ‘using Queen’ for party political purposes at State Opening, says Corbyn

Jeremy Corbyn will accuse Boris Johnson of “using the Queen” to deliver a pre-election Tory party political broadcast at next week’s State Opening of Parliament.

The Labour leader will brand the Queen’s Speech a “cynical stunt”.

Corbyn will insist he is “champing at the bit” for a general election, but would only back one if a no-deal Brexit is taken off the table because the prime minister “can’t be trusted not to break the law”.

Speaking in Northampton on 10 October, Corbyn will say: “On Monday, we will be treated to the farce of Boris Johnson’s Conservative government, amid full pomp and ceremony, setting out an agenda to Parliament that it has no intention or means of delivering.

“This Government isn’t going to put any legislation before Parliament.

“It has a majority of minus 45, a 100% record of defeat in the Commons and is seeking a general election which will end the parliamentary session the Queen is about to open.

“Holding a Queen’s Speech before an election is a cynical stunt.

“Johnson is using the Queen to deliver a pre-election party political broadcast for the Conservative Party.”

The Labour leader will insist the issue of a no-deal Brexit has to be sorted out before a general election because Johnson can not be trusted.

Corbyn will say: “Prime Minister, we can’t trust you not to break the law because you’ve got form.

“We can’t trust you not to use the period of an election campaign to drive our country off a no-deal cliff edge that will crash our economy, destroy jobs and industries, cause shortages of medicine and food and endanger peace in Northern Ireland.

“So it’s simple: obey the law, take no-deal off the table and then let’s have the election.

“We’re ready and champing at the bit.

“There’s only one reason it hasn’t happened yet – we can’t trust you.”

Corbyn will lay out his alternative Queen’s Speech, calling it “the most radical of modern times”.

It will include a “final say Brexit referendum”, a £10-an-hour minimum wage, banning fracking, scrapping tuition fees and ending rough sleeping.

Corbyn will say: “We might be just weeks away from the first Queen’s Speech of a Labour government.

“And in that Queen’s Speech, Labour will put forward the most radical, hopeful, people-focused programme in modern times: a once-in-a-generation chance to rebuild and transform our country.”

Johnson was accused of dragging the Queen into politics over his bid to suspend parliament.

The prime minister was heavily criticised after a Supreme Court ruling last month found there was no “reasonable justification” for his advice to the monarch to prorogue parliament for five weeks in the run-up to the State Opening.