Unacceptable! MPs attacked for poppy day shame
Labour woman condemns ‘lynching’ joke
A SENIOR Labour frontbencher broke ranks last night to condemn remarks made by a fellow MP about lynching a Tory minister.
Women and equalities spokesman Gloria De Piero rounded on John McDonnell, calling his comments about Employment Minister Esther McVey at an anti-war comedy night on Remembrance Sunday ‘clearly unacceptable’.
Her criticism contrasted with Labour’s weaker response, which stopped short of admonishing the Left-wing MP. Yesterday, a Labour spokesman said his views ‘don’t represent the views of the party’, adding: ‘He speaks for himself.’
Mr McDonnell refused to apologise or withdraw his comments, and turned his fire on the Daily Mail for reporting them. He called the article revealing what he said ‘a badge of honour’. He also claimed he had simply reported what was said about Miss McVey at a public meeting in her Liverpool constituency.
But Miss De Piero said: ‘It may have been that John was quoting one of Esther McVey’s constituents, but when this constituent is calling for a female minister to be lynched, that is clearly unacceptable.’
Yesterday, the Mail revealed details of the comedy night, held in Covent Garden, which featured mocking of the ceramic poppies at the Tower of London and jokes about killing the Royal Family.
But it was Mr McDonnell’s remarks that horrified many. He spoke about visiting Liverpool, where Miss McVey faces a campaign to oust her. To applause, he said: ‘I spoke at a packed public meeting... a group in the audience completely kicked off quite critical of the whole concept because they were arguing, “Why are we sacking her? Why aren’t we lynching the b******?”’
Female Tory MPs condemned his remarks. Education Secretary and Women and Equalities minister Nicky Morgan said they were ‘outrageous’, and asked why other women Labour MPs had failed to criticise the remarks, tweeting: ‘Is it OK when [it is] one of their MPs?’
Tory Sports Minister Helen Grant tweeted that ‘threats of violence and abuse’ were ‘never a laughing matter’, adding: ‘Disgusted by “joke” made by John McDonnell.’ Back- bencher MP Harriett Baldwin called on Ed Miliband to withdraw the whip from the Labour MP for his ‘vile comments about violence against women’, adding: ‘What does feminist Harriet Harman say?’ Labour deputy leader Miss Harman, a campaigner on the issue of violence against women, did not comment.
Among those at the event were former shadow minister Diane Abbott and Left-wing MP Jeremy Corbyn. Miss Abbott also made no comment.
Last night, Tory chairman Grant Shapps wrote to Ed Miliband calling on him to withdraw the whip, in effect suspending Mr McDonnell from the Labour Party. He wrote: ‘This is a sickening demand – in public – for a violent attack on a female Member of Parliament. John McDonnell should apologise.’
But Mr McDonnell replied: ‘If you had bothered to check your facts, you will have known I was reporting what had been said at a meeting in Ms McVey’s constituency by her own constituents, nothing more.’