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Conduct of the Right Hon. Member for Uxbridge and South Ruislip
30 November 2021
Lead MP
Ian Blackford
Debate Type
General Debate
Tags
Democracy & ElectionsStandards & Ethics
Other Contributors: 38
At a Glance
Ian Blackford raised concerns about conduct of the right hon. member for uxbridge and south ruislip in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
Moves a motion to censure the Prime Minister for frequently violating the sixth Principle of Public Life, undermining recommendations of the Standards Committee on Owen Paterson, regularly ignoring independent advice, diminishing the powers of the Electoral Commission, and ignoring independent advice concerning peerages and public body nominations. Calls for his ministerial salary to be reduced by £41,567 per year.
Eleanor Laing
Con
Uxbridge and South Ruislip
Warns Members that this debate is on a substantive motion directly relating to the conduct of Boris Johnson. Argues that while arguments intended to criticise or defend his conduct are in order, intemperate abuse is not permitted.
Critiques Ian Blackford for choosing a subject for debate today that was of relevance to the people of Scotland and suggests global warming, education, health instead. Defends himself against accusations by other Members.
Owen Thompson
SNP
Fife North East
Thompson raised a point of order questioning the relevance of Michael Ellis's speech to the motion on the Order Paper.
Laing responded to Owen Thompson, clarifying that she has no responsibility for the content of the Minister’s speech and advising patience as he will likely return to the main points soon.
Kirsten Oswald
SNP
East Renfrewshire
Oswald questioned Ellis about the relevance of his claims and pointed out that people are concerned about cuts to universal credit under the Government's policies, rather than focusing on issues such as stuffing the House of Lords.
Blackford noted that there was no attempt by Ellis to defend the behaviour of the Prime Minister because there isn't one.
Dave Doogan
SNP
Angus and Perthshire Glens
Doogan urged Ellis to focus his remarks on the conduct of the Prime Minister rather than discussing the Government's achievements unrelated to the motion.
Johnson highlighted the COP26 summit held in Glasgow as an example of how the Prime Minister prioritises the needs of the British people, suggesting it was a missed opportunity for SNP Members to discuss what matters to Scotland.
Berry mentioned the Government's Borderlands deal and celebrated the partnership between England and Scotland along the border as an example of strengthening the United Kingdom.
Anneliese Dodds
Lab Co-op
Oxford East
The hon. Member for Oxford East (Anneliese Dodds), while not pleased with the debate, acknowledged that it is a necessary discussion. She highlighted the absence of Conservatives in previous debates and questioned their presence today.
Mr Sambrook challenged Labour Members' attendance and suggested they lack a plan or vision to run the country.
Dawn Butler
Lab
Brent East
Ms Butler defended Labour's stance on following the Ministerial Code and criticised the Prime Minister for failing to uphold it.
Lee Anderson
Reform
Ashfield
Mr Anderson questioned Ms Dawn Butler about Labour MPs ending up in prison over the past 10 years.
Mr Gullis requested Ms Butler to apologise for bullying and harassment faced by Ruth Smeeth, a predecessor of his who was Jewish.
Matthew Hancock
Con
West Suffolk
The right hon. Member set the record straight on PPE procurement efforts and denied claims about a pub landlord's involvement in contracts with the Government or NHS.
Stewart Hosie
SNP
Dundee East
This Government are different from others in that they win votes through their majority but rarely put in the effort to win an argument. There has been a procession of decision making based on half-truth, anecdote and inaccuracy. The Elections Bill is more accurately described as a voter suppression Bill which could deny up to 325,000 people a vote in a GB election according to Government pilots. The proposed changes to the Electoral Commission give this Government unprecedented and unchecked power over the electoral process. There are also boundary reviews that will reduce the number of MPs in Scotland and Wales while increasing them in England which could benefit the Tories alone if every single vote were cast the same way. Furthermore, there is a failure to tackle dark money, evisceration of the Electoral Commission and the voter suppression Bill, all of which make the public smell a rat. The Government also defend their own on issues like Owen Paterson and conflating his issue with general changes to standards process. They boasted about breaking international law in ways that would have made the UK an international pariah.
Andrew Bowie
Con
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
It has not been a very happy St Andrew’s Day for many constituents because of Storm Arwen which left thousands without power, lights, heating or internet connectivity. The debate is happening while people are dealing with a catastrophe and crisis due to the storm. It was possible for SNP Members to table a motion to debate how Scottish and UK Governments might work together to support those affected by Storm Arwen but we are here debating this motion instead.
Steven Bonnar
SNP
Glasgow North East
We live in a society of staggering inequality with thousands relying on food banks, pitifully low wages and high cost of living. The Prime Minister oversees raiding benefits, keeping wages low and increasing taxes for working poor while rewarding big business and those of accumulated wealth, turning a blind eye to wealthy tax dodgers. We see his corruption from cash for honours to handouts for wallpaper, making him a democracy denier who stands on a hill of sleaze. There is nothing noble about the men and women sitting in the House of Lords when they buy their place there.
Claire Coutinho
Con
East Surrey
The hon. Member criticises the SNP for playing party politics during a time when public services are struggling and the economy is recovering from the pandemic, highlighting that the SNP's obsession with independence detracts from important issues such as healthcare and education.
Anum Qaisar
Lab
The hon. Member responds by criticising the Conservative government for its economic policies which she claims benefit the wealthy at the expense of working-class communities. She also raises concerns about recent scandals involving the Prime Minister and the misuse of power within the House of Lords.
Burnley and Padiham
He criticised the SNP for focusing on independence rather than addressing real issues. He argued that the SNP Members were only concerned with social media clips and not improving their constituents' lives. He highlighted several positive measures taken by the current government, such as vaccine roll-out, Prime Minister's role in strengthening the Union, and growth in armed forces.
Owen Thompson
SNP
Midlothian
He criticised the Prime Minister for broken promises to fishermen post-Brexit. He argued that the Government's behaviour is damaging public standards and accountability. He pointed out several instances of alleged misinformation, sleaze, and cover-ups by the Government.
Bim Afolami
Con
Welwyn Hatfield
He defended the Prime Minister’s conduct, stating that working hard for constituents aligns with principles of accountability and leadership. He criticised SNP policies such as coalition with the Greens, decriminalising class A drug possession, and prioritising an independence referendum over economic recovery.
Marion Fellows
SNP
West Dunbartonshire
The speaker expressed disappointment and anger towards the Prime Minister for breaking promises and conducting dishonourable actions, particularly regarding disabled people and families. She highlighted that Scotland is facing a public health crisis, inflation at 5%, energy company failures, and higher heating costs, which she believes should be more of a priority than pork barrel politics.
Lee Anderson
Reform
Ashfield
Anderson criticised the SNP for ignoring their own failings in areas such as health, education, and the economy. He suggested that they are losing the argument and have adopted a new tactic of besmirching the Prime Minister's reputation. He also questioned why senior members of the SNP stood down from its national executive committee.
Wendy Chamberlain
Lib Dem
North East Fife
Chamberlain expressed disappointment in the conduct of the Prime Minister, emphasising the need for proper enforcement of ministerial code and support for procedural changes to make the House modern and democratic. She pointed out that real opposition means taking action and demanding answers, criticising the SNP's focus on devolution while allegedly undermining it themselves.
Rother Valley
Stafford defended the Prime Minister's work and achievements, including Brexit, vaccine roll-out, green industries support, funding for deprived areas, scrapping HS2 2b arm, coronavirus support measures, and increasing police numbers. He cited local election results in Rotherham as evidence of public support for the Prime Minister.
Marco Longhi
Con
Dudley North
Mr Longhi criticises the SNP for wasting parliamentary time with their motion, accusing them of deflecting from their own failures in healthcare and other areas. He highlights the support provided by the UK Government during the pandemic and suggests that SNP's policy is driven by division rather than benefitting residents.
Alan Brown
SNP
Central Ayrshire
Mr Brown responds to the Prime Minister’s previous remarks about Scotland, emphasising the Prime Minister's view of Scottish subsidies and his opposition to devolution. He also mentions the SNP's stance on infrastructure projects and Brexit, indicating a lack of support for Scotland within the Union.
Paul Holmes
Con
Hamble Valley
Mr Holmes raises a point of order regarding the use of language during debates in the context of this particular motion. He seeks clarity on whether it is acceptable to accuse members of lying, especially given the nature of the debate.
Joy Morrissey
Con
Beaconsfield
Ms Morrissey criticises SNP Members for focusing on a non-issue at a time when real concerns such as the pandemic and migration issues are prevalent. She questions the relevance of debating salary discrepancies and suggests that the debate does not serve the public interest.
Jerome Mayhew
Con
Broadland and Fakenham
The SNP's silence on healthcare, economy, and education speaks volumes. In Scotland, waiting times for out-patients were 32 days and for in-patients 45 days, compared to England's average of 12 days. The SNP does not want to talk about the massive support from the UK Government or the PISA standards for reading, maths, and science where Scotland has fallen below England after a decade of devolved power. Their obsession with constitutional change is driven by an inability to address these issues.
Stephen Flynn
SNP
Aberdeen South
The Prime Minister's poll ratings continue to plummet due to broken promises, corruption, and sleaze. The PM's reputation abroad is also suffering. On COP26, we saw a lack of leadership. On Brexit, relations with the EU are poor. During the migrant crisis in the channel, diplomacy was attempted via Twitter. I hope the Prime Minister stays because it might help protect Scotland's Union.
The current occupant of No. 10 Downing Street is unsuitable and untrustworthy due to a pattern of behavior that includes bending the truth, ignoring instructions, emasculating regulatory bodies like the Electoral Commission, attempting voter ID laws, bypassing devolution, and creating false narratives about the Irish Sea border. This Government believes there are different rules for them than for everyone else.
Alison Thewliss
SNP
Glasgow Central
Constituents have been contacting Alison Thewliss since she came to the House of Commons in 2015, expressing concerns about practices and behaviour within Parliament that would not be tolerated outside. They see a Prime Minister who appears above rules and consequences and express anger at various government actions such as undermining the Electoral Commission and introducing voter ID laws.
Pete Wishart
SNP
Perth and Kinross-shire
Wishart congratulated his colleagues for their contributions, highlighting the discussion of the Nolan principles and use of the word 'lie' to describe the Prime Minister's conduct. He criticised Conservative Members for not defending their Prime Minister and instead diverting attention to other topics.
Martin Docherty
SNP
West Dunbartonshire
Docherty intervened, referencing a statement from the Intelligence and Security Committee on Russian influence in the UK and corruption within the British Government.
Iain Stewart
Con
Glasgow South
Stewart criticised SNP for focusing on divisive policies rather than issues that matter to the people of Scotland. He highlighted the government's support for businesses through loans and the vaccine rollout, and defended the Prime Minister against accusations of misconduct. He also addressed Labour's role in defending the Union and responded to points made by other MPs regarding voter ID laws, boundary reviews, and devolution.
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