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Sir Keir Starmer has refused to say whether he would back a move to strip Prince Harry and Meghan Markle of their royal titles. Tory MP Bob Seely last week revealed he is planning to bring forward proposed legislation following the release of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s explosive Netflix show.
The Labour leader was grilled on whether the couple, who are living in the US after quitting royal duties, should lose their Sussex titles during a phone-in on LBC this morning.
Reading a listener’s question to Sir Keir, host Nick Ferrari said: “What is your view of Harry and Meghan? Should they retain their titles and have you watched the Netflix show?”
The Labour leader replied: “I haven’t watched the Netflix show, I’ve been watching too much football in the last three or four weeks.
“I’m genuinely loathe to wade in, politicians wading in in relation to the Royal Family.”
Mr Ferrari pressed: “Conservative MP Bob Seely is putting forward a motion to strip the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of their royal titles so this may well come before you. How would you vote?”
Sir Keir said: “Let’s wait and see what the proposal is. I think me wading in, politicians wading in, doesn’t help.
“It’s a family, it’s the Royal Family and I think politicians are a bit too quick to express views.”
Mr Ferrari asked again: “But if you had to vote on it?”
Continuing to dodge the question, Sir Keir replied: “Well let’s see what the proposition is.
“I don’t know how many people Bob’s rallied round on this but I’d be surprised to see it on the order paper any time soon.”
Conservative backbencher Mr Seely last week said he was considering bringing forward a short private members’ bill in the new year that, if passed, would see the MPs vote on a resolution that could give the Privy Council the power to downgrade Harry and Meghan’s royal status.
The Isle of Wight MP said: “There is a political issue. As well as trashing his family and monetising his misery for public consumption, he is also attacking some important institutions in this country.
But a No 10 spokesman has since said it does not back the proposal.
Harry and Meghan have also come under criticism from employment minister Guy Opperman who described them as “clearly a very troubled couple”.
He told BBC Question Time. “I would urge everyone to boycott Netflix and make sure that we actually focus on the things that matter.”
Meanwhile, former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith questioned why the Sussexes would want to attend King Charles’s coronation next May following revelations in their new documentary.
He told the Mail on Sunday: “If they dislike the Royal Family so much why would they attend the Coronation?”
Sir Iain was echoed by ex-Cabinet minister David Mellor who insisted Harry and Meghan should not attend.
Mr Mellor said: “They shouldn’t come to the Coronation. They categorically shouldn’t come.
“They make money out of selling their family down the river. I think it should be made clear that the British people do not want them there.”
The first three episodes of Harry and Meghan’s controversial six-part Netflix series dropped last Thursday, with the second half due this Thursday.
The show is the first major output from the lucrative deal they struck with the streaming giant after quitting as working royals in 2020.
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