Labour MP right to call PM a liar in Commons – Starmer

Published

3 years ago

July 26, 2021

admin

A Labour MP was right to call Boris Johnson a liar in the Commons, party leader Sir Keir Starmer has said.

Sir Keir backed Dawn Butler, who was kicked out of the chamber last week for refusing to withdraw her claim that the prime minister has “lied to the House and the country over and over again”.

“I agree with what Dawn had to say,” he told LBC.

“I think the prime minister is the master of untruths and half-truths, and Dawn was simply giving some examples of that.

“I think there’s a lot of people that feel that, you know, it’s the person who’s not telling the truth rather than the person who’s calling it out that ought to be on the hotspot. So, I agree with Dawn on that.”

Brent Central MP Ms Butler was asked to withdraw her remarks several times by temporary deputy Commons Speaker Judith Cummins but refused to do so, resulting in her being asked to leave the chamber for the rest of the day.

Under parliamentary etiquette rules, it is not permitted for one MP to call another a liar.

Sir Keir added: “In fairness to the temporary speaker, Judith Cummings, who was there, she did the right thing, she followed the rules because parliament doesn’t allow you to call other parliamentarians liars in the chamber, so I don’t criticise the speaker … the deputy speaker for what she did, she was following the rules. But do I support Dawn in what she said? I absolutely do.”

Ms Butler, a former member of the shadow cabinet, tweeted in the wake of the incident: “I have been thrown out of Parliament for saying what we all know: Boris Johnson has lied to the House of Commons and the country over and over again.

“But I’ve got news for the Tories, I will never stop speaking truth to power!”

In a video posted on social media later on Thursday, she added: “I am just leaving parliament now because I have been thrown out for calling Boris Johnson a liar.

“But he is a liar. He’s lied to the House and the country over and over again and I’ve had enough and I had to call it out – so, I’m leaving parliament.”

Politics

Tornado Cash verdict has chilling implications for crypto industry

Published

4 hours ago

May 19, 2024

admin

Tornado Cash verdict has chilling implications for crypto industry

The conviction of Tornado Cash developer Alexey Pertsev reinforces a very broad interpretation of criminal liability, which has major repercussions for blockchain.

Politics

Grant Shapps ‘angry inside’ over infected blood scandal ahead of inquiry report

Published

7 hours ago

May 19, 2024

admin

Grant Shapps 'angry inside' over infected blood scandal ahead of inquiry report

The defence secretary has said he is “angry inside” over the infected blood scandal ahead of a long-waited report into the decades-long injustice.

Grant Shapps told Sky News he agreed it had been one of the most “shameful failures” of government and said he was dismayed by the “lack of anybody taking responsibility”.

The findings of a public inquiry into the scandal, chaired by Sir Brian Langstaff, are due to be published on Monday.

From 1970 to the 1990s, tens of thousands of people were infected with contaminated blood through blood products or blood transfusions given via the NHS. People were infected with hepatitis or HIV – in some cases with both.

An estimated 3,000 people died as a result.

Politics latest: West in an ‘existential battle’ over world order, Shapps warns

Mr Shapps told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips that the scandal was a “massive injustice which needs to be put right” and said the government would act on the report.

He said that while he was yet to see the report, he hoped it would finally allow families’ pain and loss to be acknowledged and for the government to properly respond.

Mr Shapps said he had spoken to relatives of several victims, including a couple who had lost their son, and said their stories made feel him “angry inside”.

He added: “It just made me angry to know they had lost their son without anyone ever taking responsibility, so I think this is why this report tomorrow is very important.”

Successive governments have been blamed for failing to take responsibility and the current government has been accused of trying to delay compensation to victims after an inquiry was first set up by Theresa May in 2017.

It is estimated that the compensation bill could now exceed £10m.

The defence secretary admitted the process of delivering payouts to victims had gone on for “so long”.

He added: “This is a massive injustice which needs to be put right.

“And I know the government said we will. The report tomorrow, I think, will be the day for that family and others and I know the government will want to respond quickly.”

Asked whether Prime Minister Rishi Sunak would apologise to the victims, Mr Shapps said: “I don’t want to mislead because I don’t have special insight into that.”

Click to subscribe to the Sky News Daily wherever you get your podcasts

Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting also told Trevor Phillips that he expected “successive governments” to be criticised in the report by Sir Brian.

“Everyone has got their responsibility to bear in this appalling scandal and we have got a shared responsibility to put it right,” he said.

“The moment to act can’t come soon enough.”

Sir Brian is due to deliver his final report just after midday on Monday.