Rishi Sunak has been accused of being “petty” for refusing to allow MPs time to pay their respects to the former House of Commons speaker Betty Boothroyd.
The prime minister has ignored calls from MPs to delay the start of parliamentary proceedings by one hour on Tuesday for members to attend the memorial service for the late House of Commons speaker, who served from 1992 to 2000.
Baroness Boothroyd, who died in February last year at the age of 93, commanded respect across the House and politicians from all parties wanted to attend the Service of Thanksgiving to the Labour stalwart, held in Westminster Abbey on Tuesday.
But the government has refused multiple requests to delay the start of business so that MPs can attend the service without a clash. Tuesday is an important day in the Westminster calendar as MPs are set to vote on a series of amendments to the Rwanda bill.
Labour MP Charlotte Nicholls, who has previously described the “profound impact” Ms Boothroyd had on her life, said the government’s decision was “disrespectful to parliament as an institution”.
“Parliamentary proceedings get moved around all the time for all sorts of different reasons, this is certainly something that could be accommodated… it is totally within the government’s gift,” she told The Independent.
Ms Nicholls added: “She was not just hugely significant for Labour members, but she was the first and only female speaker and it is disrespectful to Parliament as an institution, given the importance of the role she held, to not allow everyone to pay tribute in the way they would wish to – without potentially missing parliamentary business.”
The decision leaves scores of MPs from across the House having to choose between attending the first hour of parliamentary business or paying respect to one of their former colleagues.
A senior parliamentary source accused the PM of political point-scoring and called the decision “petty”, while Dame Diana Johnson told The Independent the move was a mistake.
Dame Diana said: “That is really very disappointing, and I would urge them just to reconsider. If it’s just delaying proceedings by an hour, I’m sure most MPs would welcome that, and welcome the opportunity not to miss parliamentary business. I know Betty would be very keen that we’re all able to attend parliament.”
The Independent understands the government had been asked to simply delay the start of the parliamentary day by one hour, which would mean all outstanding business, including the Rwanda debate and vote, would still receive its full allotted time.
However, Leader of the House Penny Mordaunt and the chief whip Simon Hart are understood to have declined.
Back in December, Ms Mordaunt gave an emotional tribute to the late Baroness Boothroyd, saying: “She gave us confidence and pride in this place, and that was no accident.
“She wanted to give all a chance because she had cherished every chance that she had been given. For me, that care was evident in a particular letter she wrote to me after I had proposed the Loyal Address in 2014, and I was so grateful for it.
“She concluded that she wanted me to ‘flourish’—not just to be successful or to do well or to get on, but to flourish, to excel, to be all I could be, to have a ruddy good time doing it and to understand what my purpose was. She knew her purpose: ‘I speak to serve’, she said, and she served us well.
“May she rest in peace, and may these tributes to her remind us all of the responsibility and the opportunity it is our privilege to have. Thank you, Betty.“
Mr Sunak also gave a tribute at the time, calling her a “remarkable woman who dedicated her life to politics”.
Baroness Boothroyd was a Labour MP from 1973 until 1992, when she was elected Speaker of the House of Commons. She served until 2000, before being elevated to the House of Lords as a crossbench peer.
The Yorkshire-born baroness was the first female Speaker of the House and was a champion of democracy during her time in Parliament.
She became known – before her more divisive successor John Bercow – for the way she barked out “Order, Order”, and she was much-loved in her local village of Dewsbury, in Yorkshire.
The Speaker of the House of Commons, Lindsay Hoyle, told The Independent: “I have the highest respect for a great friend like Betty Boothroyd, one of the greatest speakers in history.
“I am very disappointed that not everyone will be able to attend her memorial service”.
Chief whip Mr Hart has declined to comment, but allies rejected suggestions that he had declined to meet the speaker.
A government source said: “The PM paid tribute to Betty Boothroyd at her funeral last year as one of our greatest speakers and the house was able to pay their respects to her at the time.”
The Independent has reached out to Ms Mordaunt’s office for comment.
