FOLLOWING Boris Johnson’s decision to “shut down” Parliament until just days before the UK’s exit from the EU on October 31, the press is abuzz with lots of new political jargon like “prorogation” and “Privy Council”.
Read on to find out everything we know about the Privy Council.
What is the Queen’s Privy Council?
Her Majesty’s Most Honourable Privy Council is a formal body of advisers who serve the sovereign of the UK, in the current case – the Queen.
It is made up of a group of senior politicians who were or are members of
the House of Commons or the House of Lords.
What does the Privy Council do?
The role of the Privy Council is to advise the Queen on the exercises of Royal Prerogative, which is essentially the Queen’s overall authority afforded to her by her royal status.
The council has the power to enact Acts of Parliament, this is done through Orders of Council.
They can also advise the sovereign on the issuing of Royal Charters, which are used to grant special status to incorporated bodies, and city or borough status to local authorities.
However, the majority of the Privy Council’s powers have been taken over by the Cabinet.
Can the Privy Council suspend Parliament?
Only the Queen can prorogue Parliament, as only a monarch can announce the proroguing of Parliament – so the government must ask the Queen’s permission to do so.
The Queen has accepted Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s request after meeting the Privy Council at Balmoral.
While the Queen’s decision is a boost for Boris it would have been unprecedented for her to refuse the request of a sitting PM.
Who is in the Privy Council right now?
The Privy Council currently has a 700-strong membership, composed mostly of politicians and civil servants.
It includes Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott and former PMs Tony Blair and David Cameron, as well as London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
Membership is for life, so even if a politician retires, they are still a member of the Privy Council.
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