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Westminster News from Paul Waugh

The Waugh Room

News, gossip and insight from PoliticsHome Editor Paul Waugh

Mr Pritchard stands up to Mr Speaker

Tory MP Mark Pritchard is not one to swear. In fact he's ribbed by colleagues in the Tea Room for saying "Schmidt" instead of sh*t.

But today, he exploded when the Commons Speaker confronted him over an alleged breach of the courtesies of the House.

It all started when Pritchard got to his feet towards the end of Business Questions. As he rose, the Tory backbencher was told by John Bercow that as he was not present for the beginning of Sir George Young's business statement, he could not ask a question.

Pritchard was furious because he actually had been present for the start of the session at 11.30am and had been seated between Des Swaine and Peter Bone. However, he left the chamber for five minutes to go to the loo between noon and 12.05, before returning.

To register his anger at not being allowed to ask a question, Pritchard immediately wrote a letter of complaint, explaining why the Speaker was wrong (including the toilet break). He went to the Speaker's office to submit the letter.

But, several minutes later, on walking back along the corridor behind the Speaker's chair, the Tory MP then encountered Mr Bercow walking towards him with his usual formal entourage.

The Speaker then stopped and pointed at Pritchard and said: "The courtesy of the House is that Honourable Members should stand aside when the Speaker passes by".

Pritchard was so outraged at this further slight that he replied: "Mr Speaker, don't point at me. I am not here to be abused by you."

Bercow countered: "You will obey the courtesies of the House!"

To which Pritchard replied with the immortal line: "You are not fucking royalty, Mr Speaker!"

Pritchard then walked off.

[UPDATE] A beetroot-faced Speaker then tried to have the last line. He told a disappearing Pritchard: "Well..a good morning to you, Sir!"

It was high drama and witnessed by several colleagues.

I've just been on the phone to Mr Pritchard to check this sequence of events. He tells me:

"I have not been sent to Parliament to be abused by anybody. When somebody abuses me in this House, they are abusing my constituents."

Pritchard - deputy chairman of the Tory backbench 1922 Committee - is already being lauded by colleagues for lashing out at the "purple plotters" who want to merge the Tories and Lib Dems.

But his hero status among fellow Conservatives has probably just been enhanced even further. Let's not forget he's in good company on this issue.

Both Health minister Simon "Dwarfs" Burns and the Government Chief Whip have had their rows with Mr Speaker. Speaking of which, let's see that footage again...

 

 

UPDATE: Thanx to Guido and Ben Brogan for their generous links. It looks like Pritchard is indeed being lauded by his peers. One Tory says the Palace may knight him. Another says: "The Palace are amused, rather than not amused"

FURTHER UPDATE: I've now been told the Speaker's final remark as Pritchard walked off. See above.

Apparently, T-shirts with the phrase "You're not fucking royalty, Mr Speaker!" have already been printed.

Leave a comment...

Martyn

Speaking as one of his constituents "they can abuse him as much as they like". The man is an A grade idiot. We'd have more luck with a Water Vole representing us.

Simon Castle

This thread is utter garbage - Guido and Ben Brogan says everything right wing tosh. 

lenko

Maybe, Martyn. But all the same, Bercow is an archetypal "jumped-up little oik", and it's nice to see him being so accurately described.

Acamar

Bercow seems to be doing a good job, and a MP abusing him like this is quite wrong.   If you are in Parliament, you have to follow the rules.  If other Tories are praising him, they are also wrong, in fact worse.   

Mike Litorus

Bercow is a dogturd, and that is being nice to dogturds..

John77

Er - the thread is about Bercow abusing Mark Pritchard, not vice-versa, after Bercow had (possibly by honest error) made a false accusation against him and prevented him exercising his rights. So (i) Bercow was not doing a good job and (ii) Pritchard was not abusing him: Acamar should actually read the post before commenting

 

Acamar

Simon is right, this thread is rubbish.  But at least John is polite, thank you, whereas quite a few of you are rude, foul-mouthed, and actually similar to Mr Pritchard, who is more of a problem than complaints about the Speaker.  Bercow is entitled to respect.

English 75

No, Bercow is not entitled to respect.

Personally he is a vain, odious liitle man with an over-inflated opinion of himself.  Professsionally he is an incompetent, partisan speaker who only got the job on the basis that Labour knew he would stab his own colleagues in the back.

Acamar

The House of Commons cannot function if members do not respect the Speaker.  It is as simple as that.

Teresa

As another unfortunate constituent I'm won't be upset if he is abused in the house. He is a seriously unpleasant individual

concrete pump

Bercow deserves all the abuse he gets. A cretinous individual with a superiority complex.

steyrman

good for mr prichard this speaker is so far up his own backside  he is laughable  it is time he got real why should anybody in this free democratic country avert his eyes to anybody

what a crettin he is

Alex

Actually, the speaker is the most prominent "commoner" in our constitution. He is also the chief officer and highest authority of the House of Commons, and therefore Mr Pritchard's boss. Pritchard is an arrogant prat.

Nick

The Speaker is not an MP's "boss" you moron. They are accountable to the electorate and their peers in the House of Commons. Read a book before shouting your mouth off.

Graeme

Have you heard of manners?

John77

Exactly - Bercow seems to lack them

As to the dialogue - Courtesy is not something that can be demanded by order - it only exists if it is provided voluntarily. While Mr Pritchard was awaiting an apology for an insulting mistake by the Speaker, Bercow tried to order him "get out of my way"- it is fortunate that Mr Pritchard is, as mentioned in the original post, mild-mannered.

Charles

First, the Speaker is the MPs representative and spokesman, not their boss.

Secondly, I don't stand aside for my boss when I meet him in the corridoor - and he would never speak to me like that

In the most generous possible interpretation of events, Bercow lacks charm and judgement.

dorothy wilson

".... Pritchard is indeed being lauded by his peers2 - and by the rest of us. Good on yer mate!

KilburnMat

No, Bercow is not royalty, he was elected to the position by his peers and this is a position that warrents respect. As for whether or not the palace are amused or not, it's a moot point, they're to keep their noses out of politics. Now why not stop attacking a good speaker who is even-handed and get on with writing something decent? Awful, simply awful

aben

this man makes his wife appear intelligent. both have risen without trace proving that anyone with the chutzpah can get away without having any talent whatsoever. and you wonder why the country is up turd mountain

cyberdoyle

I am not a political person, but good one Mr Prichard. Some speakers have ideas above their station. I wonder if a lady speaker would be as pompous?

John77

Courtesy is invariably a choice by an individual to do something that conveys honour or respect to another. Therefore it cannot be ordered. Bercow does not understand the meaning of the word. If, as almost everyone says, Bercow had initially made an innocent mistake because he had got his facts wrong, he could have avoided this by apologising. Incidentally Martyn is talking tripe - Mark Pritchard is a good constituency MP, respected by my LibDem son who has met him in constituency events and admired by one of his LibDem schoolfriends who is now a (paid! - so he *must* be good) parliamentary assistant for a LibDem MP

Martin Marprelate

I can understand Mark Pritchard's annoyance but there is no excuse for using an obscenity to The Speaker. Mr Pritchard should show respect to the Office if he can't or won't towards the man who holds it.

Acamar

I quite agree.   Respect must be shown to the Speaker - and frankly this is obvious to everyone.   

David Morris

The exchange between the Speaker and Mr. Pritchard was funny when I first heard it. However, he was being rude to an important figure in the Commons and that is simply the wrong thing to do. Bercow can't be expected to notice everyone who was in the chamber at the start of a statement. These things happen. As for the video at the bottom of the post, the Chief Whip should have known better. That was disgraceful behaviour.

Acamar

You are right.   Pritchard must be put in his place.

Joannie

Beautiful! Just sweet, beautiful and timely. Michael Pritchard has done what every other MP was itching, but never had the nerve to do. Bless!

RAICH

Mr speaker was spot on ..referees and umpires are in charge

otherwise we have one big scrum...Pritchard is out of order

BERCOW  IS A STRONG BUT FAIR REF

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