Little-used 'Lascelles Principles' set in 1950 allow a Monarch to reject a request to dissolve Parliament if an alternative PM can be found
The Queen would, in theory, be able to block any attempt by Boris Johnson to hold a snap general election this year, senior Tories have toldThe dramatic move could be signalled privately by Buckingham Palace to No 10 Downing Street, using an obscure constitutional convention that allows a Monarch to turn down the dissolution of Parliament if an alternative Prime Minister can be found.
Allies of Johnson have also “war-gamed” the option of a snap polling day should Sir Keir Starmer be served with a fine by Durham police for breaking Covid rules, a move that the Labour leader has promised would trigger his resignation. Rebel Tories believe that a powerful factor is the recent narrow confidence vote and the likelihood that a new Tory leader could be selected without any need to plunge the country into a general election.
Cabinet Secretary Simon Case, who previously worked as private secretary to Prince William, told MPs this week that he was incorporating the Lascelles Principles into the “Cabinet Manual” that governs constitutional rules including the calling of elections.
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