'Democracy has broken down', says Telford MP

Lucy Allan, MP for Telford, has made the comments in the wake of an incendiary week in Westminster that saw tempers reach boiling point in the aftermath of the Supreme Court ruling that the Prime Minister's prorogation of Parliament was unlawful.

Ms Allan has also defended the Prime Minister's use of the term 'surrender act' to describe the 'Benn Bill', which was passed by parliament in an effort to prevent the country leaving the EU without a deal.

Writing in an open letter she said: "People are right feel disquiet about the nature and tone of debate in Parliament. What happened this week was shameful. Parliamentarians were seen screaming with rage at each other, as if it were an acceptable part of political discourse.

"The Speaker should have taken steps to calm the debate. It is a matter of record that he tolerated this behaviour by allowing it to pass unremarked.

"Regrettably, and it has been the case for sometime, MPs across the house receive threats and abuse. This can be intimidating for MPs and their families. It creates fear and can restrict the activities an MP undertakes. The Prime Minister rightly condemns any kind of abuse or threats. As this conduct has become commonplace, the police, parliament and the courts are better at responding to it. In the early days the advice was to keep a 'lower profile,’ and ignore it. Given the fear and distress it causes and the impact it has on the everyday life and the mental wellbeing of MPs and staff, this was not an adequate response."

She said it is down to MPs to make sure they are not inflaming the situation, and criticised Labour MP Karl Turner, who had confronted senior Government advisor Dominic Cummings over death threats he had received.

She said: "All MPs and political parties have a duty to moderate their behaviour and language in the current climate. It is not acceptable for MPs or other politicians to accuse each other of being liars, scum, cheats, fascists, racists, nazis and so on. It is deeply disturbing that we have seen this online and in public.

"Yesterday we even saw a Labour MP shouting at an adviser in a public place, that he should be 'dead in a ditch.’ The MP recorded his act of aggression and bizarrely posted it online. These people should not be Members of Parliament. They are clearly fuelling public anger.

Condemn

She added: "The suggestion that Prime Minster should not use the term 'Surrender Act' to describe the enforced delay of Brexit, for a duration to be determined by the EU, against the will of the UK Government is a diversion.

"It was a sickening act for a Labour MP to introduce the tragic murder of a much admired colleague into the debate to make a political attack on the Prime Minister, and then for Jeremy Corbyn to repeat this act in an online video."

Ms Allan said that the current impasse over Brexit can only be solved by the country leaving the EU.

She said: "The failure to honour the referendum result is inevitably exacerbating tensions. We have MPs in Parliament who are blocking Brexit.

"We have MPs who are failing to respect the views and votes of the people who sent them to Parliament.

"We have MPs who have failed to honour the manifesto pledges on which they stood.

"We have others who have switched parties, having no mandate at all from their electorate. And yet these same MPs, who would expect to be voted out at an election, refuse to allow the Prime Minister hold an election.

"Democracy has broken down. Parliament is showing contempt for the people it represents, and whilst I condemn threats and abuse of all kinds, I understand why people are angry. Enough.

"Parliament must now act quickly to diffuse public anger by delivering Brexit and holding a General Election so the electorate’s voice is heard. Those who continue to stand in the way of proper functioning of our democracy do a disservice to our country."