Why is Boris Johnson holding a Queen’s Speech with an election on the horizon?

Politics Explained: It’s hard to see this speech as anything other than an advanced briefing of the Conservative Party 2019 manifesto

The Queen could be dragged into political controversy (Getty)

Decisions made by Boris Johnson’s government of late have been a source of frustration at Buckingham Palace: it’s not every day a prime minister seeks the royal seal of approval to unlawfully suspend parliament in the midst of a political crisis.

So it would hardly be surprising if the monarch seeks vengeance and decides to repeat her 2017 Queen’s Speech outfit with headgear striking a remarking resemblance to the European Union flag as she marks the state opening of parliament on Monday.

Traditionally, the pomp and ceremony involved in the speech marks the start of a new parliamentary year – an opportunity for a government to reset its domestic agenda and outline its flagship policies. Expect commitments on the NHS, schools and immigration.