Strong and stable latest: the government has spent the day having a news management nightmare descending into a convoluted row with the Lobby about the Queen’s Speech and goats. Kid you not…
11am: Number 10 spokesman refuses to confirm the Queen’s Speech will go ahead on Monday as planned.
12:30pm:BBC and Sky report the Queen’s Speech will be delayed due to lack of agreement with DUP.
1pm: Newsnight’s Nick Watt tweets: “I understand Queen’s speech delayed because it has to be written on goat’s skin. That takes a week“.
1pm – 3pm: Lobby hacks follow up and GoatGate goes viral.
3:30pm: GoatGate reverse ferret. Turns out the Queen’s Speech isn’t written on goat’s skin and there is no goat involved. Laura Kuenssberg slaps down her BBC colleague: “speech is written onto vellum AFTER it’s delivered, apparently, so not sure it quite explains holdup“.
3:40pm: Downing Street insists the Queen’s Speech could go ahead on Monday as planned.
4pm: Damian Green then concedes it “could” be delayed due to DUP negotiations.
Comments are closed