Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has interrupted Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) to remind Boris Johnson of his duty to answer queries.
Sir Lindsay was forced to abruptly pause PMQs this week after to remind the prime minister that it was his responsibility to answer questions, and not pose them.
The rebuke came as Johnson pressed Sir Keir Starmer on whether he could allow former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn back onto party benches.
“I think I’ll answer that it actually is Prime Minister’s Questions, not leader of the opposition questions,” interjected Sir Lindsay.
“That’s a reasonable question,” Johnson muffled back, forcing Sir Lindsay to raise from his seat to rebutt: “I think I’ll make that decision prime minister.”
He then quipped: “Thankfully we’ve got the signal and we don’t want to lose it.”
The chamber burst into laughter.
MORE: Speaker praised as he cuts off Boris Johnson’s answer to SNP mid-sentence
“It was your end last time, by the way,” Johnson responded.
Taking to the despatch box, Sir Keir replied: “The difference is I’m tackling the issues in my party and he is running away from the issues in his.”
A stunned Johnson replied, shouting “oh yeah?” repeatedly.
“I take it from his answer he has no idea who is leaking from his government,” Sir Keir shot back, having asked the prime minister if he was aware of who had been leaking sensitive government meetings to the press.
Most popular
Alastair Campbell’s Diary: Disappointing Greta Thunberg and a night out with the Kinnocks
Mandrake: Facing the fury of Nadine Dorries
