Shropshire Star

North Shropshire MP launches scathing criticism over Prime Minister's Covid fine

The MP elected in the wake of a parliamentary standards scandal has told colleagues "no one believes the Prime Minister has told the truth".

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North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan told Parliament it makes a mockery of people to suggest the Prime Minister did not know the rules

In a lengthy speech during a debate on whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson should be referred to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges for lying over 'party-gate', North Shropshire Liberal Democrat Helen Morgan said the public were "angry" at the attempt to bend the rules.

She told those present that her very presence in the Houses of Parliament was evidence that the British public cares about standards in politics – Mrs Morgan was elected in a shock by-election result in December following Conservative Owen Paterson's resignation due to a lobbying scandal.

Mrs Morgan also said it was "not credible" that the Prime Minister had told the truth over his claims that rules had been followed in Downing Street at all times.

She said: "I would like to start by reminding my honourable colleagues, on both sides of the house, that I am standing here today in this place to do this privileged position representing the wonderful people of North Shropshire partly because the Great British public, who we are here representing, really do care about standards in British politics.

"I ask members on the opposite benches to cast their minds back to Tuesday, December 7, last year and the breaking sensational news that Allegra Stratton had been filmed answering difficult questions about law breaking.

"Perhaps they will remember Wednesday, December 8, on which the only Conservative politician facing the media was their unfortunate candidate in the Shropshire by-election.

"Or perhaps they will remember the early hours of Friday, December 17, in which the verdict of the people of North Shropshire was announced, because for them the party of over 200 years was most definitely over.

"Madam deputy speaker, the motion put to the house was that the Prime Minister may have deliberately misled the house and as such should be referred to the committee of privileges.

"We all know it is not credible that the Prime Minister told the truth to the house when he told us that the rules had been followed at all times.

"The only possible explanation for the claim being that he had been unable to understand the detail of the rules he had written himself."

Mrs Morgan rejected a number of claims about the severity of the issue.

She said: "I will touch briefly on some of the other reasons that have been given to let him off the hook. The first is that the fixed penalty notice is no more serious than a speeding ticket.

"I think we all know that is rubbish and one of our honourable colleagues pointed that out earlier.

"The Prime Minister, members of his cabinet, and the country's most senior public health officials appeared live on TV almost every night to remind us of the gravity of these laws.

"Reminders of the importance of following these laws were repeatedly posted from the Prime Minister's own social media accounts.

"Suggestions the laws were trivial is disrespectful to all those who got us through the dark days of the pandemic. Whether they were key workers, community volunteers, or just ordinary members of the public making huge sacrifices to save other people's lives."

Mrs Morgan also criticised suggestions that because of the focus on the cost of living crisis and Ukraine, the Prime Minister should continue in his position.

She said: "A second argument that we have heard today is the country needs strong leadership to tackle the cost of living crisis at home, and the desperately needed support for Ukraine at home and abroad.

"I would agree a change of approach is needed for the cost of living crisis. One that protects those in need. Not the super profits of companies extracting oil and gas, one that gives a VAT cut to those struggling families, not a tax hike on the hard working.

"To suggest the Prime Minister is focusing on the cost of living is frankly ridiculous because he is focused on escaping the trap he has laid for himself."

She added: "So let us consider for a moment the grave situation in Ukraine

"We are largely united across this house in the need to support the brave Ukrainian people, sanction those who prop up Putin's murderous invasion force, and welcome those fleeing the tragedy.

"We also know it is possible our leader will be required to make decisions of the most serious nature in the coming months. Decisions none of us would wish to be forced to take.

"Should this happen this house and the British public will need to have the utmost confidence the Prime Minister is telling us the truth.

"Madam deputy speaker, the Prime Minister has irrevocably damaged that confidence.

"No one believes the Prime minister has told the truth because he has become tangled in a web of lies.

"It makes a mockery of all of us to suggest he did not understand his own rules, to suggest the rules were not broken when the police say they were."

Mrs Morgan also rejected suggestions that the public do not care about the issue, saying: "This brings me to my third argument. That the public have just moved on and they just do not care.

"Here I return to my opening remarks. The public in this country really do understand the importance of a code of conduct, they really do understand if a Prime Minister breaks that code of conduct he should resign to uphold those fundamental basic standards in public life, and they become really angry when the Prime Minister tries to bend the rules to save himself or indeed his friends.

"My seat in this house is proof the British public really do care."

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