Stephen Flynn writes to Keir Starmer in bid to strip Prince Andrew of his titles

SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn has written to Prime Minister Keir Starmer offering to bring forward a bill to strip Prince Andrew of his titles. 

The letter was sent after Flynn raised the issue in the House of Commons yesterday, calling on the UK Government to bring forward legislation that would strip Prince Andrew of his dukedom. A motion lodged by Flynn has gained cross-party support, with 26 MPsincluding a member of the Labour Party signing it. 

“It is legally clear that an Act of Parliament is required to remove these titles from Prince Andrew,” wrote Flynn in the letter. “It is equally clear that your government has, thus far, been reluctant to act.” 

The letter comes after Prince Andrew voluntarily gave up his titles, including the Duke of York,after a discussion with King Charles III. In a statement, Prince Andrew said he was giving up the titles as the “continued accusations” against him distracted from the work of the Royal Family. 

“I am deeply concerned that the standard response from the Labour government is that it will be solely ‘guided’ by the Royal Family in terms of legislation that would strip Prince Andrew of his titles and scrutinise his finances,” wrote Flynn. 

“It should be a statement of the obvious that democracy and justice for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein should be the sole guide to our response.” 

Prince Andrew has faced years of accusations about his association with the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Prince Andrew has always strongly denied the accusations against him. 

In 2022, the prince reached a financial settlement with Virginia Giuffre whose memoir was published posthumously this week. In the book, Giuffre said she had sex with Prince Andrew on three separate occasions beginning when she was 17.

“If the government supplies the SNP with an Opposition Day, we will bring forward a motion which would give MPs the chance to vote on measures that would result in stripping Prince Andrew of his titles and would lead to an investigation into his finances, including his living arrangements,” wrote Flynn. 

“If the required political will exists, this matter can be dealt with swiftly and comprehensively – it is the very least the victims deserve.” 

Questions criticising members of the Royal Family are banned in the Houses of Parliament, but motions that discuss their conduct are allowed. In response to Flynn’s motion, Labour’s Leader of the House Alan Cambell said that MPs could find “ways of debating these matters” that would allow them to discuss the prince. 

Recent polling from Ipsos found that 88 per cent of the public felt that Prince Andrew should give up his titles.