Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has delivered another telling off for the Government over its ‘entirely unacceptable’ decision to announce a delay in lifting lockdown restrictions to the media before ministers.
Earlier today Sir Lindsay accused Downing Street of ‘running roughshod’ over MPs by not informing them first of changes to the Covid-19 roadmap.
Following Boris Johnson’s press conference confirming a four-week delay to the final lifting of controls in England, the Speaker warned him to ‘treat this House correctly’.
Speaking as Health Secretary Matt Hancock prepared to make a statement to MPs, Sir Lindsay said: ‘I will be pursuing this matter with him. I do not find it acceptable at all – members of this House are elected to come here to serve their constituents, not to serve them via Sky or BBC.
‘The Prime Minister should be here, I am sorry if his dinner would have been affected because I was told he was in Brussels.
‘The nearest Brussels tonight were the sprouts on his dinner being served.
‘I say now, Prime Minister, you are on my watch and I want you to treat this House correctly.’
Sir Lindsay’s earlier remarks were in response to points of order from two senior Conservative MPs, Peter Bone and Sir Edward Leigh, who both voiced their unhappiness with the handling of the announcement.
Mr Bone, Conservative MP for Wellingborough, said to MPs: ‘It’s a long-standing principle of this House that major changes to Government policy are announced to Parliament first.
‘I can think of no more important policy announcement than changes to regulations that restrict the freedom of the British people.’
He went on: ‘What makes this matter more concerning is that about 30 minutes ago the media were given an embargoed copy of the statement.
‘So the media have the statement in advance, there will be a public press conference at 6pm and the last people to know about the changes to the Covid regulations will be members of Parliament.
‘This is clearly very disrespectful to Parliament and probably a contempt of Parliament.’
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From metro.co.uk
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