Lee Anderson has told Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy to “be a man” as he demanded him to visit his constituency of Ashfield and speak to pub landlords.
During a fiery Prime Minister’s Questions exchange, the Reform UK MP urged Mr Lammy to “explain to them why over 500 pubs have closed since this Labour Government came into power”.
As Mr Anderson stood up in the Chamber to deliver his question, the Reform member was heckled by backbenchers, causing Speaker Lindsay Hoyle to intervene.
Mr Anderson began: “It was reported on the TV yesterday that the Labour backbenchers are revolting. Now, that is a matter of opinion…”
Mr Anderson was forced to pause his question as the Commons descended into chaos, with one MP heard repeatedly shouting: “He doesn’t have a TV licence!”
Halting the heckling, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle called on the MP in question to “leave” the session.
He told the Chamber: “I didn’t want to have to get up. Who was the person that was speaking out then?
“If you haven’t got the guts to admit to shouting somebody down, leave the Chamber.”
Lee Anderson has told Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy to ‘be a man’ as he raged over Labour’s pub support package
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The Reform MP then began his question again, directly addressing Mr Lammy: “Unlike the Prime Minister of our country, I’ve never been thrown out or barred from a pub.
“And after yesterday’s disastrous announcement to save our pubs, there’s no wonder he’s cleared off to China.
“But I’ve got one question for the Deputy Prime Minister – will he come with me to Ashfield to visit some pubs and speak to some landlords, and explain to them why over 500 pubs have closed since this Labour Government came into power, and why another 500 pubs will close in the next year? Come on, be a man.”
Taking aim at Mr Anderson’s “IQ”, Mr Lammy swiped in response: “Well, Mr. Speaker, I think I once campaigned with the honourable gentleman who was a member of the Labour Party.
Mr Lammy suggested Reform UK could recruit Liz Truss into their party to ‘crash the economy’
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“And it’s been said of him that when he left, he enhanced the IQ of the Labour Party and decreased the IQ of the party that he went to.”
In a direct attack on Reform UK and its latest defectors, he added: “I wonder what job the honourable member is pitching for on the Reform Shadow Cabinet?
“They’ve got Nadhim Zahawi to advise on tax, the member for Newark to open up the borders, now they need Liz Truss to crash the economy.”
Sat next to Mr Anderson, Reform UK’s newest MP Suella Braverman was visibly outraged by the remarks, and is seen speaking to Mr Anderson in response to Mr Lammy’s attack.
Suella Braverman was visibly enraged at Mr Lammy’s remarks
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Mr Anderson is also seen expressing anger at the Deputy Prime Minister, appearing to shout a response across the chamber.
Mr Lammy had also pressed Business Secretary Andrew Griffith over defections to Reform, saying “26 Tory MPs and counting” had defected to Reform.
Standing in for leader Kemi Badenoch, Mr Griffith responded: “I don’t know what’s in his head. It is our party that is getting stronger.
“They’re supposed to be running the country and once again small businesses will see he didn’t answer question. £1billion a year, that is the burden. There we have it, there is no relief coming, they don’t care.
“Won’t the Deputy Prime Minister admit it’s not the Prime Minister going to China that scares them, it’s that they’re scared of him coming back.”
