Brighton MP thrown out of the House of Commons

Brighton Kemptown MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle has been thrown out of the House of Commons during a debate on Brexit after grabbing the ceremonial mace.

Mr Russell-Moyle’s move, which echoes a similar stunt by former Tory MP Michael Heseltine in the 1970s, earned him an immediate suspension from the sitting.

Speaker John Mr Bercow said: “I think (Mr Russell-Moyle) will know the implication of his action. I must order (Mr Russell-Moyle) to withdraw immediately from the House for the remainder of this day’s sitting. Mr Russell-Moyle please leave the chamber.”

He appeared at first to want to stand his ground until the Speaker said: “He must leave or be escorted. He should leave.”

Earlier, after the Prime Minister Theresa May cancelled a vote scheduled on her deal on Brexit – Britain’s exit from the European Union – Mr Russell-Moyle took a verbal swipe across the chamber.

The Labour MP said: “Last year the Prime Minister called an election because she understood clearly that in democracies we regularly go back to the people and have a vote.

“After losing three votes in Parliament last week, she seems to have gone a bit cold on democracy.

“She does not want a people’s vote but now she does not even want votes in the House of Commons.

“When will we get to vote? What date will the Prime Minister set for a vote?

“I have no trust in this Prime Minister, and I do not think the country does either.”

His questions were brushed off by the Prime Minister, reciting the much-used phrase: “I refer the honourable gentleman to the answer I gave earlier.”

When the PM doesn’t allow a vote of the people on the Europe deal, now she won’t even allow a vote of parliament or give us a date as to when we get a vote. The only option is to heckle this shower of a government that can’t negotiate their way outa a paper bag. 🤬😤 https://t.co/BVMH0gHbQL

— Lloyd Russell-Moyle (@lloyd_rm) December 10, 2018

Earlier the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, Caroline Lucas, asked: “The Prime Minister has changed her mind about the vote …

“If she can change her mind, why will she not just check whether the British people have changed their minds since they voted two years ago?

Mrs May said: “Does the honourable lady honestly think that if we were to have a further referendum and it came out with a different result, people would not then say that we should have a third referendum to find out exactly what the result was?

“And if we had a second referendum with the same result, I also wonder whether the honourable lady would still be asking for a third referendum.

“This Parliament gave people the choice and the people decided. They voted. We should deliver on it.”

The Labour MP for Hove, Peter Kyle, also questioned the Prime Minister. He said: “The Prime Minister started this process by going to the Supreme Court to stop the House of Commons having a say in starting the Brexit process.

“We are only having a vote tomorrow – or were only having a vote tomorrow – because she was defeated last year on the amendment to the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill.

“Is it not true that she has barefaced cheek to come before the House and lecture us about our duty to this House and our Parliament?

“Is not it true that no Prime Minister is better than a bad Prime Minister?”

Mrs May said: “What I have pointed out today to members of this House is the duty that each and every one of us has, having stood, as the honourable gentleman did, on a manifesto to deliver on the result of the referendum, to do exactly that.”