Queen’s speech is delayed as Theresa May gathers new team

THE small matter of some wet goat skins is delaying the Queen’s Speech marking the British opening of Parliament.

The Queen’s speech is written on goat skin paper. Picture: DALE WEBSTER

AS IF British politics wasn’t in chaos enough — what with a hung parliament and Brexit talks due to start in days — now some goatskins have put a further spanner in the works.

Prime Minister Theresa May chaired a crisis meeting of her new Cabinet on Monday after it was revealed the Queen’s speech is set to be delayed while a deal between her Tory and the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) deal is hammered out.

Downing Street refused to confirm the State Opening of Parliament would go ahead as planned on June 19 — also potentially ripping up the monarch’s Royal Ascot plans, The Sun reported.

However, even if a pact with the DUP can be hammered out before June 19 it may be too late because of the tricky problem of some moist paper traditionally made from animal hides.

The Queen’s speech is written on high quality material known as goatskin paper. The `archival paper can last for at least 500 years.

A goatskin with the planned Queen’s speech is ready to go but the unexpected election result, and the likelihood the Tories will be forced to make substantial changes to their legislative plans, means a new speech has to be written.

The Queen's speech has been delayed.

To transfer the new version to the goatskin paper, and then wait for it to dry, could take days.

While it was traditionally made from real goat skin, its modern form contains no animal hide at all. But it keeps its name because it has a watermark in the shape of a goat.

Westminster veterans still refer to “going goat” to mark the moment the speech needs to be ready by so that the ink can have time to dry before being sent to the Queen for her approval.

The Queen’s speech takes place at the start of every Parliamentary year, and sees the monarch read out the Government’s legislative plan for the coming 12 months.

But the PM fears wrangles with the DUP to get the support of their 10 MPs she needs to pass laws may take all week.

In which case she might not be ready to table a Queen’s speech by Monday, delaying the State Opening of Parliament.

A No. 10 spokesman said: “There will be an update from the Leader of the House shortly.”

First Secretary of State Damian Green confirmed today there could be a delay, and said he was “optimistic” a deal could be reached.

“Until we have that, we can’t agree the final details of the Queen’s speech. We know those talks are going well. We want to produce a substantial Queen’s speech,” Mr Green said.

The news comes as Mrs May prepares to scrap large chunks of her manifesto — amid fears she may not be able to get the legislation through the House of Commons.

Plans to reform grammar schools and a new vote on fox hunting could now be out the door. Changes to social care and a pensions shake up may also be scrapped — as the DUP are opposed to them.

Mrs May’s top team met in No. 10 today amid rumours of a split over Brexit, with talk of ministers conspiring with MPs from other parties to water down plans for a so-called “hard” EU exit.

As well as the delay to the Queen’s speech, senior Tories suggested today that Brexit talks might not start on June 19 as scheduled.

David Davis said today: “It’s in the week of next week, basically, the first discussions ... It may not be on the Monday.”

The office of Andrea Leadsom, who has only been in the role for a few hours after being moved in yesterday’s reshuffle, made no immediate announcement about the Queen’s speech in response to press queries.

In response a Labour spokesman said: “No. 10s failure to confirm the date of the Queen’s speech shows that this Government is in chaos, as it struggles to agree a backroom deal with a party with abhorrent views on LGBTI and women’s rights.”

The PM has come under increasing pressure since her disastrous election result on Thursday, with a crunch meeting with Tory MPs taking place in Parliament this evening.

The weekend saw rumours Boris Johnson could launch a coup against Mrs May — but he quashed those in an article for The Sun today.

He insisted there shouldn’t be another general election and called for an end to Tory plotting, telling mutinous MPs to “get a grip”.

Mrs May received another boost today after David Davis also threw his weight behind her and slammed talk of a leadership challenge as “self-indulgent”.

The Brexit secretary came out all guns blazing for his boss today as she seeks to secure her position despite losing her commons majority last week.

He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that she will definitely be there “for my career at least” and he was “100 per cent an unswerving supporter”.

“I am not interested,” he said, when quizzed on whether he would run for leader again.

“It’s a complete waste of people’s time, it is unbelievably self-indulgent to go into this sort of stuff.”

He praised the PM in a separate interview with Radio 4’s Today program as being “decisive” and “brave” but who also “consults ... takes her time”.

Mrs May is under increasing pressure as she seeks to team up with the DUP with former Chancellor George Osborne calling her a “dead woman walking”.

This story originally appeared on The Sun and was republished with permission.