Wrekin MP ‘deserves a good hiding’, says top Tory
Monday 27th June 2011, 7:00PM BST.
The row over Shropshire’s Mark Pritchard’s claims that Downing Street tried to bully him into dropping a fight to ban circus animals continued today after a fellow Conservative said he deserved to be given a “good hiding”.
Former Army officer Tobias Ellwood made the comment about Mr Pritchard.
The parliamentary aide to Defence Secretary Liam Fox and MP for Bournemouth East said: “He’s the kind of bloke who deserves to be taken behind the bike shed and given a good hiding.”
His remarks came after Mr Pritchard launched a scathing class-war attack on David Cameron.
The Wrekin MP angrily claimed Government whips first offered him “a job” – and then Downing Street “threatened” him – to try and get him to drop his motion calling for a ban on wild animals in circuses from July next year.
MPs went on to approve the move in a humiliating defeat for the Government.
In a highly-charged and heated debate, Mr Pritchard, who was brought up on a council estate, said he may have “a very poor background”, but he was not going to be “kow-towed by the whips or even the Prime Minister of my country on an issue I feel passionately about, that I have conviction about”.
And the fall-out continued over the weekend, with Mr Pritchard saying Downing Street must now respect the will of Parliament and implement the ban.
“Failure to do so will only make Downing Street look arrogant,” he said.
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It’s amazing those in power are no more grown up than a bunch of school kids, you don’t play my way and I’ll take my ball back. If they’re are like this to their fellow Tory MP’s what chance have the voting public got?
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Perhaps Mr pritchard should lower himself to ellwoods level and oblige him , I know who my money would be on.
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Tory MPs fighting? Rats in a bag.
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Indeed let’s be balanced here and not forget labour mps fighting. Cockroaches in a bag perhaps?!
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You want balance? Well there’s a novelty.
Guess (for real balance) we’ll have to move to the Lib Dems next. Any ideas?
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I hope your comment is meant to be toungue in cheek! If you hadn’t noticed the Liberal Dimacrats(deliberate misspelling) have been shoring up this pathetic government for over a year. They can’t sustain their supporting role, how on earth could they govern the country?
Answers on a stamp please.
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I just want to know how we would describe two Lib Dem MPs fighting.
Tories are ‘rats in a bag’ for me, Iron Flag (suddenly all for balance in political debate) goes for ‘cockroaches in a bag’ for Labour.
You don’t like the Lib Dims so what’s your idea?
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We’ve got to try and get some of you blinkered leftys to acknowledge other points of view! The libdums is a good start.
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OK my people. I have organised it for you. Couldn’t find a bike shed big enough, but have managed to secure the Wembley Arena Octember 15th.
Every MP (yes, all 650 of them) in one big ring. Last man (or woman) standing is the winner.
Tickets £20, or £50 for a ringside seat.
PS. Pity Boris isn’t still in parliament any more. My money would be on him. As it stands I’ll go for the clunking fist from Dunfermline. The boy’s got a point to prove, so will be well up for this one.
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@ James
“I just want to know how we would describe two Lib Dem MPs fighting.”
…two wet lettuces in a water fight? (with no water for health & safety reasons).
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@Walter Wall, fantastic. No concessions though? (You know how it is – recession, pensions crisis and all that.)
@Rob, yes, that nails it.
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Maybe Tobias thinks that MP’s who didn’t go to public school ought to be just fag’s to those who did.
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Well done to Mark Pritchard for standing up to the whips. Ellwood discredits himself by making such crass comments. Pritchard will see them all out.
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The whole matter is but an intense low-pressure weather system taking place within a small ceramic drinking vessel.
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Tories behind bike sheds-grow up Liam,you’re not at public school now.
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Forget about parties. It was quite refreshing to see any MP showing a bit of backbone and speaking what’s really on his mind. Now there’s a rarity!
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I agree, One M.P does the job he was elected to do.( make bills that represent his constituents) And everybody is shocked. He is my local M.P and I am in no way a Tory, but I may just vote for him next time!(I did say may)
Anyway well done M.r Pritchard but where were you during the tuition fees debate?
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P.S If animals went to University would you have voted against the tuition fee hike rise? Just a thought.
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Why has this thrashing got to be done behind the bike sheds ?
Is there an ..ahem…adult element to all this that are not for sensitive eyes ?
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Congratulations Mark Pritchard,until the time of Thatcher the Conservative party comprised people like him plus a few real gentlemen with “old money ” who looked after all of us as well as themselves. Post Thatcher it has been taken over by “loads of money” people and , although a former party worker , I`d rather not vote at all than support them, perhaps Mark will start a revival to traditional ways and restore some sort of order to the UK.
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tobiarse is the face of the very nasty party. well done mark pritchard, i admire your background and backbone and for exposing david cameron and the tory whips for what they are, ignorant thugs and bullies
2 libdems fighting in a bag? jellybabies. buy some for lu lu
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