Boris Johnson makes Queen speak at pointless state opening – costing us 220k

Boris Johnson will spend £220,000 dragging the Queen to the State Opening of a Parliament he intends to shut down seven days later.

The 93-year-old monarch has been asked to read what amounts to the Tory election manifesto.

That will be debated through the week, ending in the first sitting of the Commons on a Saturday since the 1982 Falklands War, where the PM will outline any Brexit deal he can pull off with the EU.

Mr Johnson then hopes to dissolve Parliament a week tomorrow to prepare for a general election on November 28.

But that could be scuppered if Jeremy Corbyn does not agree to an election or the PM fails to get a deal with Brussels.

Mr Johnson is 66 MPs short of an overall majority so has little chance of getting his Queen’s Speech outlining the Government’s future plans through the Commons.

But he is banking on getting a deal at the European Council in Brussels on Friday.

The Remain Alliance of rebel MPs are now planning to amend the Queen’s Speech to secure another EU ­referendum or, in the event of a no-deal, ensure the PM is forced to ask for a Brexit delay.

A Westminster source said: “We’re not playing Boris’s games. Usually a political party puts its manifesto in the Queen’s Speech. The PM is putting his manifesto into the Queen’s mouth.”

Remainer MP Anna Soubry added: “If Johnson does somehow secure a withdrawal agreement with the EU, then he will struggle to get it through Parliament.

“His best bet would be to make any agreement conditional on a people’s vote.”

Mr Johnson said: “Getting Brexit done by 31st October is absolutely crucial. We are continuing to work on an exit deal so we can move on to negotiating a future relationship based on free trade.”

UK and EU negotiators are having “intense technical ­discussions” on the proposed deal throughout this weekend.

But yesterday the DUP cast a shadow over the compromise.

Any deal is likely to involve the UK enforcing the EU’s rules and tariffs on goods moving from Britain to Northern Ireland.

In a classic fudge, the province would be in both the EU and UK customs unions.

That would allow it to benefit from UK trade deals with the rest of the world.

But DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds said: “Northern Ireland must stay in a full UK customs union, full stop.”

Of the £220,000 the State Opening costs the taxpayer, £171,000 is for temporarily clearing Westminster of anti-terror barriers and reinstalling them afterwards.

Police overtime runs to £10,000 and 1,100 troops will line the route of the royal trip from ­Buckingham Palace to the Lords while 200 mounted Household Cavalry escort the Queen’s carriage.