Cable anger over procedures after Speaker bans Queen question

3.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 3rd Apr 2008

Liberal Democrat deputy leader Vince Cable has attacked "ridiculous" Commons procedures after he was banned from asking a question about the Queen. Mr Cable mentioned the Monarch in a question on the economy to Harriet Harman, who was standing in for Gordon Brown at PMQs. He said: "It was reported this week that Her Majesty the Queen had cancelled her diamond wedding celebrations because it was judged to be inappropriate to engage in extravagance at a time of economic gloom and recession. Do you share my view that this demonstrates Her Majesty's unerring instincts for the public mood, or does the Government think she was overreacting?" But Speaker Martin would not let the question be answered.

Dr Vince Cable said "It is absolutely ridiculous that in a supposedly modern democracy Members of Parliament cannot even mention the Head of State in passing without prior permission. This is yet more proof of the major constitutional reform needed to drag Westminster into the 21st century."