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The Sun may print more of Queen's views on Europe, says editor The Sun may print more of Queen's views on Europe, says editor
(35 minutes later)
The Sun has signalled that it is prepared to further deepen the establishment’s split over the EU referendum, with its editor-in-chief revealing the paper may print further details about the Queen’s stance on Brexit.The Sun has signalled that it is prepared to further deepen the establishment’s split over the EU referendum, with its editor-in-chief revealing the paper may print further details about the Queen’s stance on Brexit.
Tony Gallagher said he “reserved the right” to print details about the Queen’s views on Europe as he accused people “close to Nick Clegg” of trying to implicate Michael Gove in leaking the claims that she supports Britain leaving the EU. Tony Gallagher said he “reserved the right” to print details about the Queen’s views on Europe as he accused people “close to Nick Clegg” of trying to implicate Michael Gove, the justice secretary, in leaking the claims that she supports Britain leaving the EU.
David Cameron moved to distance himself from the row by declaring that “as far as I can see” Gove, who himself supports Brexit support, had denied any involvement. He stopped short of endorsing the denials by the justice secretary. Gallagher’s comments came as David Cameron said it would be “very serious” if it were found that a minister had disclosed a private conversation with the Queen to the Sun.
Speaking on BBC Radio Oxford, the prime minister said: “These are very serious matters but as far as I can see Michael Gove has made clear that he has no idea where this story came from either. Speaking at a car factory in Ellesmere Port, where he had been making the case for Britain to stay in the EU, Cameron said: “Obviously, that would be very serious. But there’s a statement by Buckingham Palace denying the story and a statement by the then deputy prime minister denying the story, where they made it clear they didn’t know where this came from.”
“So you’ve got a very clear denial statement from Buckingham Palace and from the [former] deputy prime minister. An investigation is under way by the press standards organisation. I think we should let them do their work.” But Gallagher made clear that the Sun is prepared to complicate the establishment fightback against its story by revealing further details of the Queen’s alleged Euroscepticism.
But Gallagher made clear that the Sun is prepared to complicate the establishment fightback against its story by revealing further details of the Queen’s alleged euroscepticism. Buckingham Palace has taken the unusual step of referring the Sun to regulator the Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso), claiming the story headlined “Queen backs Brexit” breached rules on accuracy.
Buckingham Palace has taken the unusual step of referring the Sun to regulator the Independent Press Standards Organisation, claiming the story headlined “Queen backs Brexit” breached rules on accuracy. It cited clause one of the Ipso code on accuracy, which says headlines must reflect the content of articles. The Sun story said the Queen had expressed Eurosceptic views at an event at Windsor Castle in 2011, but it said nothing about whether the Queen thought the UK should or should not be a member of the EU.
It cited clause one of the Ipso code on accuracy which says that headlines must reflect the content of articles. The Sun story said that the Queen had expressed eurosceptic views at the Windsor Castle event in 2011 but it said nothing about whether the Queen thought the UK should or should not be a member of the EU. Clegg, whom the Sun claims was the recipient of the Queen’s alleged anti-European views at the time he was deputy prime minister, has also issued a denial, calling the story “nonsense”. Senior Lib Dem sources said that the Queen often makes pointed remarks about contemporary events and may well have made remarks about the EU at the lunch, which took place at a time when the eurozone was facing a series of crises. But Clegg said he has no recollection of the Queen questioning the UK’s membership of the EU.
Clegg, who the Sun claims was the recipient of the Queen’s anti-European views at the time, while he was deputy prime minster, has also issued a denial calling the story “nonsense”. Senior Lib Dem sources said that the Queen often makes pointed remarks about contemporary events and may well have made remarks about the EU at the lunch which took place at a time when the eurozone was facing a series of crises. But Clegg has no recollection of the Queen questioning the UK’s membership of the EU. A spokesman for Gove said: “We don’t comment on private conversations with the Queen.”
Gallagher made clear he is prepared to challenge the Buckingham Palace / No 10 / Clegg response, saying that the matter now rests with Ipso, The Sun editor told ITV politics editor Robert Peston: “We do know more than we’ve printed ... I haven’t yet decided whether we are or whether we are not going to do that. We will defend ourselves very very stoutly and our position remains extremely strong.” The Sun editor warned that he is prepared to challenge the responses of Buckingham Palace, No 10 and Clegg, saying the matter now rests with Ipso. Gallagher told the ITV politics editor, Robert Peston: “We do know more than we’ve printed ... I haven’t yet decided whether we are or whether we are not going to do that. We will defend ourselves very very stoutly and our position remains extremely strong.”
Gallagher said the newspaper would “never reveal who our sources are” but added that there was a “smear operation” against Gove.Gallagher said the newspaper would “never reveal who our sources are” but added that there was a “smear operation” against Gove.
“It wouldn’t take too much of a cynic to assume that part of the reason for that is the desire to remove him as a leading light in the Leave campaign,” he told Peston. “And I think it’s worth putting into the public domain that among those circulating the idea that it is Michael Gove are people close to Nick Clegg ... I think Nick Clegg has questions to answer because he’s gone from being ‘I don’t recollect this event’ to ‘it’s nonsense’ to now being certain it’s Michael Gove. So which is it? I think he has to answer that.” “It wouldn’t take too much of a cynic to assume that part of the reason for that is the desire to remove him as a leading light in the Leave campaign,” he told Peston. “And I think it’s worth putting into the public domain that among those circulating the idea that it is Michael Gove are people close to Nick Clegg ... I think Nick Clegg has questions to answer because he’s gone from ‘I don’t recollect this event’ to ‘it’s nonsense’ to now being certain it’s Michael Gove. So which is it? I think he has to answer that.”
Asked whether he was worried about an investigation by Ipso, Gallagher said he did not think his job was “on the line”. Asked whether he was worried about an investigation by Ipso, Gallagher said he did not think his job was at risk. “Ipso will have to do what it does and we will have to report it faithfully. I don’t think my job is on the line whatsoever. What we will have to do is abide by the Ipso code – which we do – and if they find against us we’ll report it quite faithfully. They’ve found against us already and we’ve reported it quite faithfully. It’s what we do.”
He said: “Ipso will have to do what it does and we will have to report it faithfully. I don’t think my job is on the line, whatsoever. What we will have to do is abide by the Ipso code, which we do and if they find against us we’ll report it quite faithfully. They’ve found against us already and we’ve reported it quite faithfully. It’s what we do.” The warnings from Gallagher may ring alarm bells in No 10, where there will be nerves that members of Gove’s circle – if not the justice secretary himself – may have decided to brief about the Queen’s thoughts. Buckingham Palace may also be pondering whether it will have to devise another carefully worded statement to deny any further claims.
The warnings from Gallagher may ring alarm bells in No 10 where there will be nerves that members of Gove’s circle – if not the justice secretary himself – may have decided to brief about the Queen’s thoughts. Buckingham Palace may also be pondering whether it will have to devise another carefully worded statement to deny further claims.