30 March 2022

Commons Speaker tells Tory MPs to shut up during Prime Minister’s Questions

30 March 2022

The Commons Speaker told MPs to “shut up” as they booed and shouted during a question to the Prime Minister.

Sir Lindsay Hoyle also told Conservative MPs to “be quiet and behave yourselves” as they shouted during a question from Labour MP Matt Western.

After the Warwick and Leamington MP was told to bring his question on the cost of living crisis to a close by Sir Lindsay, Boris Johnson said Mr Western’s remarks “would be better as a sort of light essay in The Guardian”.

Mr Western had accused the Prime Minister of being out of touch as the cost-of-living crisis increases, saying: “It must be hard for the Prime Minister to stay in touch with financial reality given that donors and friends pay for flights and holidays.. and we also have a 200-million-dollar-man Chancellor.”

“Boring!” a Conservative backbencher could be heard to shout, before others joined in, in an attempt to make Mr Western finish his question.

Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle intervened, saying: “I hope we will come to the end of the question.”

As Conservative MPs tried to shout down Mr Western again, Sir Lindsay said: “Shut up and be quiet and behave yourselves! I hope that is the end of the question.

“I think the Prime Minister has got the gist of it, because I certainly have.”

Responding to the question, Boris Johnson said: “Can I say to him, as much as I admire his style, I think it would be better as a sort of light essay in The Guardian.”

The Prime Minister also claimed that the Government was taking action on the cost-of-living crisis, adding: “What we are doing is tackling the cost of living by dealing with the spike in energy prices and making sure that we take the right, long-term decisions to take this country forward.”

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