Layla Moran had a PMQ today and she rocked it.
She paid a generous tribute to Paddy Ashdown. When I watched it live, it seemed like people were saying “shame” to her. But there’s another story to that.
The main thrust of her question to Theresa May was about it becoming clearer that people wanted a People’s Vote on Brexit while Putin wanted her to get on with Brexit and who’s side was she on.
Watch:
Poll after poll has shown that the will of the people is now in favour of a People's Vote with the option to stay in the EU. So whose side is the Prime Minister on – Putin's or the people's? #PMQs pic.twitter.com/u3Q8SwF9by
— Layla Moran 🔶🕊️ (@LaylaMoran) January 9, 2019
Now, back to the heckling.
It wasn’t Layla who was being shouted at. It was Andrew Bridgen, the Brexiteer MP for NW Leicestershire. When Layla was talking about Paddy’s views on what the Government’s irresponsible pursuit of the most extreme Brexit was doing to our place in the world, he yelled out “from the grave.” A pretty vile thing to say especially on the eve of his funeral, that’s for sure. Layla thought so and raised a Point of Order after PMQs.
Speaker John Bercow said it shouldn’t have been said and offered Bridgen the chance to apology. He grudgingly gave one of these non-apology “Sorry if anyone was offended” type wastes of breath.
Layla recounted her feelings in a video on Twitter.
My reaction to what happened earlier at PMQs when I asked the Prime Minister about Putin, a People’s Vote – and praising Paddy Ashdown pic.twitter.com/mykM8nHFvi
— Layla Moran (@LaylaMoran) January 9, 2019
* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings. You can find her on Bluesky at caronmlindsay.bsky.social
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10 Comments
Andrew Bridgen is a nasty little man. Well done Layla. Good question and a wonderful tribute to Paddy Ashdown.
Agree with Richard. Bridgen is a thoroughly nasty little man and a reading of his wikipedia entry reveals a number of unsavoury matters.
It also reveals that after graduating, Bridgen “began training as an officer in the Royal Marines but did not complete the course and returned home to help with the family market-gardening business”. I just wish that in some way Paddy could have had him under his command and sorted him out.
Whenever I see Bridgen, I think of Dad’s Army.
Shouldn’t this piece also report Ed Davey’s question immediately before Layla’s which also featured a tribute to Paddy, and which focused on a government defeat and concession spearheaded by Ed?
“a thoroughly nasty little man”
It didn’t mention his height in the Wikipedia article. Would it be better if he was a six footer?
He seems to have a talent for putting his foot in it and making daft remarks. But he’s also done some valuable work as well. More a pantomime villain, than a genuinely bad person, in my opinión.
I am sorry Richard and David but calling Bridgen a “nasty little man” does nothing to calm the current situation down. There are too many personal insults thrown around, and we have got to cool it down. It does not become Liberal Democrats to indluge in personal attacks.
@ David Becket It wasn’t a personal attack. It was an accurate description.
Normally I would ignore him – but do you think it right to say what he did about Paddy – “from the grave” – when Layla was paying tribute to him ?
The man had no respect or decent good manners.
@ David Raw
He was totally out of order to act in the way he did, but there are too many like him in parliament and it needs to stop. The disgraceful behaviour at PMQ only encourages attacks such as those made against Anna Soubry. The Brexit situation is going to make a lot of people very cross, and we are likely to see more verbal and physical attacks. It might be an accurate description, but it was still a personal attack, and we need to be ultra careful not to fan the flames in these very dangerous times.
David Becket has a point. Shouting from a sedentary position is unparliamentary behaviour, but we need to keep things in perspective.
Just down the road from me, (in a little church in Ealing) lies Spencer Perceval, the only British Prime Minister to be assassinated.
1812 was a troubled period of time in Britain. The historian Arthur Bryant wrote of the delight with which the news was received by hungry workers who had received nothing but woe from Perceval’s government. William Cobbett said “the shooting had ridded them of one whom they looked upon as the leader among those whom they thought totally bent on the destruction of their liberties”.
As the assassin was taken out for transfer to Newgate a mob was celebrating the event outside parliament, expressing regret that others, and particularly the attorney general, had not shared the same fate. They tried to free the shooter from his carriage and were beaten back with whips until a military escort arrived.
@ Joe Yes, agree David has a point.
1812 was also the year Lord Byron made his maiden speech in the House of Lords defending the Nottingham frame breakers. It’s humanity and eloquence still make breathtaking radical reading. Contact link below :
Lord Byron’s Speech – Luddites
https://www.luddites200.org.uk/LordByronspeech.html