Let the SNP act on Prince Andrew if ministers will not do so, Flynn urges PM

Stephen Flynn has urged the Prime Minister to let the SNP act to strip Prince Andrew of his Duke of York title if the Government does not.

The SNP’s Westminster leader and Aberdeen South MP has urged the Government to act “swiftly” on the issue as the scandal surrounding Andrew’s friendship with the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and allegations of abuse against Virginia Giuffre rumbles on.

Mr Flynn said if ministers “don’t feel able or don’t feel comfortable” to act, the SNP should be granted an opposition day debate in the House of Commons to force a vote on stripping the title and launching a probe into Andrew’s finances and living arrangements.

The Commons Public Accounts Committee announced on Thursday it would be looking into the lease arrangements of Royal Lodge – the 30-room mansion Andrew lives in on a peppercorn rent.

But a Number 10 spokesman said the royal family “would not want to take time from other important issues”, with the Government refusing to allocate parliamentary time to discuss the situation.

“Prince Andrew has already confirmed he will not use his titles,” the spokesman said.

“We support the decision made by the royal family, and we know the royal family would not want to take time from other important issues.”

Pressed further, he said: “Any decision by committees to scrutinise developments are a matter for them.

“The Prime Minister supports proper scrutiny of the crown estates and all uses of taxpayers’ money.”

According to Erskine May, the House of Commons rulebook, “unless the discussion is based upon a substantive motion, drawn in proper terms, reflections must not be cast in debate upon the conduct of the sovereign, the heir to the throne, or other members of the royal family”.

The SNP lost its ability to lead opposition day debates after it fell to just nine MPs at last year’s election, but in a letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Flynn urged him to allow such a move.

“I am deeply concerned that the standard response from the Labour Government is that it will be solely ‘guided’ by the royal family in terms of legislation that would strip Prince Andrew of his titles and scrutinise his finances,” the SNP’s Westminster leader wrote.

“It should be a statement of the obvious that democracy and justice for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein should be the sole guide to our response.

“That is why it is critically important that action against Prince Andrew is now swiftly taken.

“The SNP is no longer afforded the right to an opposition day at Westminster, but it is within the gift of the Government to change that.

“If the Labour Party don’t feel able or don’t feel comfortable in acting against Prince Andrew, the SNP will.

“If the Government supplies the SNP with an opposition day, we will bring forward a motion which would give MPs the chance to vote on measures that would result in stripping Prince Andrew of his titles and would lead to an investigation into his finances, including his living arrangements.”