A YORK MP is proposing a new law which would allow for Prince Andrew to be stripped of the title Duke of York.
York Central Labour MP Rachael Maskell has presented a 'Removal of Titles' Bill, would give the monarch new powers to remove titles, or for a committee of Parliament to determine that a title should be taken away.
She said that currently, not even the Queen could remove Andrew's Dukedom.
"There is no mechanism for a title to be removed, meaning that despite much public outcry, Prince Andrew has continued to carry his Duke of York title, even after many of his other titles have been removed by the Queen," she said.
"The Bill will address a deficiency in the law and enabling this titles to be removed."
She said the legislation would also address widespread concern about the inability to remove peerages from people convicted of criminal offences, and also concern that a Russian Oligarch had been able to sit in the Lords following the award of a Peerage by the Prime Minister.
"Similar legislation was enacted over 100 years ago with the Deprivation of Titles Act (1917) which enabled Parliament to remove the title of those who fought against the British in the First World War, however the act only applied to those who had “borne arms against His Majesty or His Allies, or who have adhered to His Majesty's enemies”," she said.
The MP said an online survey by The Press earlier this year showed that 80 per cent of local residents wanted the current Duke of York to be disassociated with the city, not least due to the ambassadorial role that it carried and City of York Council had removed his Freedom of the City in April.
She said: “York is a Human Right’s city and residents made it clear to me in February that they wanted the Duke of York title to be removed from Andrew, the Queen’s second son, in the aftermath of revelations about his personal affairs.
“I have heard the city and sought to explore ways that such a title can be removed, however without new legislation this will not be possible. This legislation will therefore enable either the monarch or a Committee of Parliament to remove titles from disgraced owners of those titles.
“For months now, York as a city has called for its association with Prince Andrew to end. After exploring all other avenues, it is clear that an Act of Parliament is the only way we can achieve this.”
She said the Bill was due to receive its Second Reading on December 9.
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