Brighton MP cut short at Prime Minister’s questions

Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas was cut short at question time in the House of Commons today (Wednesday 12 February).

Dr Lucas appeared to be about to call for poorly performing ministers to be sacked after she asked for more funding for flood prevention.

But she was interrupted by a chorus of MPs, prompting the Speaker John Bercow to call the Prime Minister David Cameron to respond.

The Green MP was the first MP to be called at Prime Minister’s questions. She asked the traditional opening question – if the Prime Minister would list his official engagements for the day.

It is an approach that enables backbench MPs to ask almost anything with their follow-up question under parliamentary rules.

Mr Cameron replied: “This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in this House, I shall have further such meetings later today.”

Dr Lucas said: “Our hearts go out to everyone whose lives are being devastated by the current floods.

“I am sure we all welcome the Prime Minister’s promise yesterday that he will do everything he can both with the relief effort and in building a more resilient country into the future.

“Does he therefore agree that it would be both complacent and ignorant to flout the warnings of the Met Office and his own advisers, who warn that climate change will lead to even more such events in the future?

“Can he confirm for the House and for everyone in my Brighton constituency that doing everything he can will include not only reversing cuts to the Environment Agency budget and giving proper funding for flood prevention but, crucially, removing anyone from the Cabinet …”

At this point she was drowned out by dozens of other MPs.

The Speaker said: “We are grateful. That is enough.”

Mr Cameron said: “Let me reassure the honourable lady that I listen very carefully to my experts in the Met Office and in the Environment Agency.

“Every Cobra meeting (crisis meeting held in Cabinet Office Briefing Room A – or Cobra for short) starts with a briefing from the Met Office.

“I think it is clear that we are seeing more extreme weather events and I suspect that we will go on seeing more extreme weather events.

“We need to do everything we can to improve the resilience of our country.

“Let me repeat again that, as I said yesterday, when it comes to this relief effort, money is no object.

“We will spend what is necessary to help families, to help people and to help communities get through this very difficult time.

“I have to say that things are likely to get worse before they get better because of the very high levels of rainfall we have seen – and we are seeing very serious high winds as we speak here in the House today – but whatever can be done to help will be done.”