SNP’s Westminster leader marched out by man with a sword
The leader of the SNP’s Westminster group was removed from the house of commons, after accusing Prime Minister Boris Johnson of misleading parliament over Downing Street parties.
Ian Blackford refused several times to withdraw his comments during a heated exchange with speaker Lindsay Hoyle.
He accused the prime minister of “wilfully” misleading parliament and refused to retract the comments, arguing “it’s not my fault if the prime minister can’t be trusted to tell the truth.”
Shortly afterwards, he was spotted being marched away from the house of commons chamber by a guard with a sword.
"If the prime minister has inadvertently misled the house, then I will state that."
The moment @IanBlackford_MP was thrown out of the House of Commons for saying Boris Johnson misled parliament #SueGrayDay pic.twitter.com/L1JvSETKEa
— PoliticsJOE (@PoliticsJOE_UK) January 31, 2022
During parliamentary debates, MPs are banned from accusing each other of deliberately misleading the commons.
Blackford had been referring to a statement made by Johnson late last year.
Speaking in the house of commons on December 8, 2021, the prime minister explicitly confirmed he had been “repeatedly assured” there had not been a party and “no covid rules” were broken on December 18, 2020.
Yet Sue Gray’s recently released report into alleged Downing Street parties confirmed the Metropolitan police are investigating a suspected party that was apparently held in Downing Street on that date.
If confirmed, this would mean the prime minister lied to the house and therefore broke the ministerial code.
Related links:
- Scotland Yard handed more than 300 photographs of Downing Street parties
- Boris Johnson tells commons he will not stand down
- Sue Gray slams “excessive alcohol consumption” in Downing Street
