NIGHT THAT SHAMED THE COMMONS
Disgrace as posturing waving placards scuffle, chant and ‘behave like students’ as Westminster shuts
IT WAS the night when the behaviour of our MPs provoked levels of chaos never before seen in the mother of Parliaments.
After a week of late-night votes, furious Brexit rows and insults hurled across the Chamber, the Commons was formally ‘prorogued’ – or closed – until October 14.
But opposition MPs then staged a ‘ludicrous playground stunt’ in the House of Commons in protest.
About a dozen MPs, including members of Jeremy Corbyn’s frontbench, held up signs saying ‘Silenced’ in the early hours of yesterday morning and shouted ‘shame on you’.
Amid farcical scenes that reminded observers of punch-ups in foreign legislatures, they also made a show of trying to hold Speaker John Bercow by his legs in his chair to prevent the prorogation ceremony from taking place.
Video of the incident shows one Commons official hauling Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle away from the Speaker. Also involved were Labour frontbenchers Dawn Butler and Clive Lewis and Green MP Caroline Lucas. Officials then stood beside the Speaker’s chair to block access.
Yesterday Tory MPs condemned the student-style protest – which happened just minutes after Labour, Liberal Democrats and Scottish Nationalists once again refused to back a snap election.
Defence minister Johnny Mercer said the MPs were being ‘spiteful, rowdy, dishonest and unwilling to submit themselves to a public who pay their wages’. Culture minister Nigel Adams branded the protest a ‘ludicrous playground stunt’.
Conservative backbencher Bob Seely said the situation was an ‘utter farce’.
Labour’s John Mann agreed, describing the behaviour as a ‘pantomime’.
How the night of shame unfolded:
ELECTION VOTE
SHORTLY after 12.30 on Tuesday morning, MPs vote on a motion for an early election. Before the vote, Boris Johnson accuses Labour and other opposition parties of ‘preposterous cowardice’ for opposing the move and accused Mr Corbyn of ‘dither and delay’. In the vote, 293 MPs back the motion and 46 vote against with vast numbers of abstentions. The motion passes but fails to reach the two-thirds threshold required by the FixedTerm Parliaments Act. The prorogation ceremonials then begin.
ENTER BLACK ROD
SARAH Clarke, who holds the ancient office of Black Rod, enters the Commons chamber shortly before 1.20am, having walked from the Lords. She is heckled as she delivers the message that Parliament will be prorogued and when she calls for MPs to come to the Lords, as is tradition, Opposition politicians bellow ‘No!’
MPS HOLD DOWN THE SPEAKER
AT THE same time, a dozen MPs, including Labour frontbenchers, gather by the Speaker’s chair, holding up slightly pathetic pieces of paper with ‘Silenced’ written on them and chanting ‘shame on you’. Labour MP Lloyd RussellMoyle holds down the Speaker’s legs to try to keep him in his chair. With the House in uproar, a scuffle ensues. eventually the doorkeepers – Commons staff – are forced to intervene to haul the MPs out of the way.
THE SPEAKER’S LAMENT
AFTER delaying his speech, thereby allowing the pantomime to play out, Mr Bercow takes on a mournful tone. He declares his ‘respect’ for Black Rod and says he recognises ‘our presence is desired’. ‘They are doing what they believe to be right and I recognise my role in this matter.’ One Tory MP shouts: ‘Oh, I can’t deal with this!’ sparking a sharp slapdown from Mr Bercow. The Speaker then launches into a lengthy condemnation of the suspension, calling it ‘one of the longest for decades’ and an ‘act of executive fiat’. One Tory bellows: ‘Do your job, for which you’re handsomely paid.’
BERCOW RELUCTANTLY LEAVES HIS CHAIR
AFTER milking every second of the spotlight, Bercow finally succumbs to the inevitable and got down from his chair. But not before he says he ‘completely understands’ why ‘large numbers of members are much more comfortable staying where they are’. It’s clear he is aware of MPs’ plans to stay in their seats in protest instead of walking to the Lords with him. He leaves the chamber to applause from Labour and other opposition MPs. SNP leader Ian Blackford cravenly leaps off his seat to shake the Speaker’s hand when he passes.
LABOUR MPS SING THE RED FLAG
WHILE the Government benches empty and MPs walk to the Lords, opposition MPs stay in their seats and start singing. Labour MPs opt for the socialist anthem The Red Flag, while Scottish Nationalists sing Scots Wha Hae and Welsh MPs sing Bread of Heaven. Remain MPs also hum the EU anthem, Ode to Joy. When Mr Bercow comes back from the Lords, he is greeted with a standing ovation. Their hero had returned!
BERCOW’S SAD GOODBYE
STANDING at the clerk’s desk in front of the Speaker’s chair, Mr Bercow puts on his best sad face and announces that Parliament has been prorogued until Monday, October 14. MPs shout ‘shame’. The vast majority of Tories show their contempt for the Speaker by not returning to the chamber. Usually MPs of all parties shake hands with each other and the Speaker at prorogation. Instead, Mr Corbyn leads Labour MPs to shake hands with Mr Bercow, and the two men enjoy a friendly chat.