• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
  • Guest Content
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Politics

Ill-tempered PMQs sees Johnson branded a ‘coward’ over Westminster sleaze row

Sir Keir Starmer said he doubted that the Prime Minister is the man to ‘clean up Westminster’.

Jack Peat by Jack Peat
2021-11-17 13:58
in Politics
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Boris Johnson was branded a “coward not a leader” after failing to apologise for the Westminster sleaze row during an ill-tempered Prime Minister’s Questions.

Sir Keir Starmer doubted the Prime Minister is the “man to clean up Westminster” given he “led his troops through the sewers to cover up corruption and he can’t even say sorry”.

Conservative MP Michael Fabricant (Lichfield) later raised a point of order urging Labour leader Sir Keir to withdraw his “coward” jibe, with Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle noting: “Coward is not what is used in this House.”

Sir Keir replied: “I withdraw it, but he’s no leader.”

'I withdraw it, but he's no leader!'

After calling Boris Johnson a 'coward' Sir Keir Starmer is forced to withdraw his comment at PMQs but hits out at the PM with a further barb. pic.twitter.com/bKtHfCZxGu

— LBC (@LBC) November 17, 2021

“I withdraw it, but he’s no leader”

The Labour leader had pressed Mr Johnson to follow some of his Conservative colleagues and apologise for the Owen Paterson affair.

Mr Johnson repeated it was a “mistake” to conflate the lobbying rule breach by former Tory minister Mr Paterson with overhauling the standards process more generally.

He added a cross-party approach is required on standards reform for MPs, before trying to switch the focus on to Sir Keir by claiming: “Perhaps he can clear up from his proposals whether he would continue to be able to take money as he did from Mishcon de Reya and other legal firms?”

Speaker Sir Lindsay repeatedly clashed with Mr Johnson on his attempts to question Sir Keir, at one stage telling him: “I’m not going to be challenged, you may be the Prime Minister of this country but in this House, I’m in charge.”

Sir Keir also told the Commons: “That’s not an apology. Everybody else has apologised for him, but he won’t apologise for himself.

RelatedPosts

Cooper welcomes Braverman back from her ‘expensive interior design tour’

‘New’ refugee homes in Rwanda were marketed as an affordable housing project for locals last year

Nicola Sturgeon: I attended memorial service ‘while still having a miscarriage’

Brexit blow for Sunak as DUP say they will OPPOSE the Windsor Framework deal

“A coward, not a leader. Weeks defending corruption. Yesterday a screeching last-minute U-turn to avoid defeat on Labour’s plan to ban MPs from dodgy second contracts.

“But waving one white flag won’t be enough to restore trust and there are plenty of opposition days to come, and we will not let the Prime Minister water down the proposals or pretend that it’s job done.

“Revolving door”

“We still haven’t shut the revolving door where ministers are regulating a company one minute, and working for them the next. There are plenty of cases that still stain this House.”

The Labour leader asked if the Prime Minister would back “proper independence and powers for the business appointments committee and banning these job swaps”.

The Prime Minister said: “I’ve called, and indeed you have called Mr Speaker, for a cross-party approach to this.

“What I think we need to do is work together on the basis of the independent report by the committee on standards in public life to take things forward, and indeed to address the appeals process.

“But what I think everybody can see that in a classic lawyerly way, the right honourable gentleman is now trying to prosecute others for exactly the course of action that he took himself.”

He claimed Sir Keir’s “register is incomplete,” and asked: “Who paid the £25,000?”

Sir Keir later questioned if Mr Johnson would back an investigation into contracts given to Randox, the diagnostics company which employed Mr Paterson as a consultant, or “vote for another cover-up”.

Randox contracts

Mr Johnson replied: “I’m very happy to publish all the details of the Randox contracts, which have been investigated by the National Audit Office already.”

Sir Keir, in his concluding remarks, said: “At the same time that his Government is engulfed in sleaze, they’re rowing back on the promises they made to the north, and it’s working people who are paying the price.

“Is it any wonder that people are beginning to think that the joke isn’t funny any more?”

Mr Johnson countered: “It’s plain from listening to (Sir Keir) that he seeks to criticise this Government while refusing to explain his own position. You’ve ruled on that, Mr Speaker, and I hear you, but his own Mish-conduct (sic) is absolutely clear to everybody.”

This prompted a further slapdown from Sir Lindsay, who said: “I don’t think this has done this House any good today.

“I’ll be quite honest, I think it’s been ill-tempered, I think it shows the public that this House has not learnt from the other week.

“I need this House to gain respect but it starts by individuals showing respect for each other.”

Three times during #PMQs the Speaker reminded Johnson he was there to answer questions – not ask them or make allegations. On the fourth occasion, he exploded. "You may be Prime Minister, but I am in charge here." This chaos does our democracy no favours. ~AA pic.twitter.com/Ko1YSGyLaw

— Best for Britain (@BestForBritain) November 17, 2021

Related: Irish freight traffic declines with Great Britain but thrives with EU, data says

Content Protection by DMCA.com

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending

Elevenses: Exposing the Tories’ Deepfake Illegal Immigration Bill

Elevenses: Rishi’s Finest Hour

Elevenses: Fear and Loathing in the New Conservatives

More from TLE

Wolverhampton Wanderers boss wants to make signings ahead of new season

Wealthy mum bit young daughter and hit son in the face

IT engineer to attempt to swim from Hudson River to the Thames

Liverpool fan who grew hair until they lost finally shaved it off

Bacon and Mushroom Arrabbiata with Lentil Penne Pasta

Under 5% of NHS staff believe Government has handled Covid pandemic well

Cancelling hospital appointments for Queen’s funeral ‘abhorrent’, say patients

Boris earns £1m from ‘side hustles’ – including a £32k-an-hour gig

An Idiot’s Adventures In Gameland – Steve McNeil

Police appeal after sixth cyclist dies on London’s roads in just two months

JOBS

FIND MORE JOBS

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

Contact

Editorial enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Commercial enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Address

The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE
Company number 09221879
International House,
24 Holborn Viaduct,
London EC1A 2BN,
United Kingdom

SUPPORT

We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism.

DONATE & SUPPORT

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.