Deputy Speaker rebukes PM for claiming Labour ‘on side of traffickers’
Dame Rosie Winterton said Boris Johnson’s remarks fell ‘well short of the good temper and moderation’ needed in parliamentary debates.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson was rebuked in the House of Commons after claiming Labour were “on the side of the people traffickers”.
The Prime Minister was heckled by Opposition MPs as he concluded his exchanges with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer by insisting he was taking decisions “on the side of the British people”.
Mr Johnson added: “They’re on the side of the people traffickers who would risk people’s lives at sea and we are on the side of people who come here safely and legally.”
But Deputy Speaker Dame Rosie Winterton, after PMQs, said Mr Johnson’s comments appeared to “fall well short of the good temper and moderation” needed in parliamentary debates.
The heated exchanges came as the Government’s first deportation flight to take asylum seekers to Rwanda was halted at the last minute by a legal ruling from a judge at the European Court of Human Rights.
Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi (Bolton South East), raising a point of order after PMQs, said: “In the Prime Minister’s Questions, the Prime Minister said that the Leader of the Opposition was a supporter of people traffickers.
“I think that should be taken out of record.”
Dame Rosie replied: “Frankly, the level of noise during PMQs meant it was not possible for the chair to hear everything, but I understand that the Prime Minister, as she says, did say that the Opposition was on the side of people traffickers.
“That seems to me, and I have to say to the Speaker (Sir Lindsay Hoyle), to fall well short of the good temper and moderation which should characterise our debates.
“And I say to the Prime Minister, and to all members here, we need to refer to each other in this place in more respectful terms.”