MPs bullied in the lobby? No, says Mr Speaker
Humiliation for senior Labour MP who took illicit photo and made wild claims
A SENIOR Labour MP was left humiliated yesterday after the Commons Speaker dismissed his allegations that MPs had been bullied and manhandled during a chaotic vote.
In a further blow to Chris Bryant, he was rebuked by Sir Lindsay Hoyle for breaking parliamentary rules by photographing the angry scene in the voting lobby then posting it on social media.
Mr Bryant said last night he had apologised for taking the picture but insisted he had been right to draw attention to what he insisted was intimidating behaviour.
On the night of the vote, he announced in the Commons and repeated on live TV that he had witnessed a backbencher being ‘physically pulled’ into siding with the Government after a debate on fracking. He is now under pressure from Tory MPs to correct the record. The MP is chairman of the privileges committee, which is investigating Boris Johnson for misleading the House over Partygate, although Mr Bryant has stepped aside from that probe due to his previous criticism of the former prime minister.
Tory MP Chris Clarkson asked in the Commons last night: ‘Could I ask your advice in light of the finding of the Speaker’s report earlier today, whether or not it would be in order for the Honourable Member to come to this chamber and correct the record as he has clearly misstated what happened?’
Former Conservative whip Mark Jenkinson said that the photo Mr Bryant had illicitly posted led to Tories being ‘ harassed’ and accused him of giving a ‘misleading impression’ to justify it.
He asked: ‘What actions are available to Members of this House who feel aggrieved by events and are worried about the inflammatory language and actions, particularly from those whose own behaviour we can reasonably expect to be beyond reproach?’
Writing on social media, former culture secretary Nadine Dorries told Mr Bryant: ‘Come on Chris, do the right thing. You made a huge deal of running from one camera to the next when you promulgated this nonsense. Put the same energy and effort into putting it right.’
Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt said the allegations had been dealt with in a ‘textbook’ way by Sir Lindsay adding in a pointed remark: ‘Others should take note.’
The Speaker earlier told MPs that a full investigation had been carried out into the turmoil the night before Liz Truss quit as PM, when confusion from ministers led to Tories opposed to fracking unsure if they could vote against the Government or not.
The chaos descended into shout
‘Come on Chris, do the right thing’
ing – with the chief whip threatening to quit. Sir Lindsay said the authorities interviewed or took statements from more than 40 MPs and officials who were present, but did not find any evidence to back up Mr Bryant’s allegations that backbencher Alex Stafford was ‘physically manhandled’ into the voting lobby.
‘The atmosphere was tense and Members were raising their voices to make themselves heard, but there is no evidence of any bullying or undue influence placed on other Members,’ the Speaker said.
‘The crowding made it hard to see what was really taking place. While some Members thought that physical contact was being used to force a Member into the lobby, the Member concerned has said very clearly that this did not happen. Those who had the clearest views of the incident confirmed this.’ Rhondda MP Mr Bryant told the BBC that he stood by his claims.
‘I am not challenging the ruling of the Speaker, but I know what I saw and I am not withdrawing a single word. It may be that some people feel that they weren’t bullied but I saw intimidatory behaviour,’ he said.
‘ If you have 15 or 12 MPs standing round one MP, effectively, to my mind, kettling them, that is intimidatory behaviour and it will be seen as bullying in any other line of work.’
He also defended his decision to post a photograph of the lobby.
‘I have apologised to the House for breaking the rules. I thought sometimes you have to break a rule if you see a greater injustice being done. We are trying to change the culture in Parliament,’ he said.