SNP MP Alan Brown was told to shut up and sit down in the Commons yesterday when he tried to ask Theresa May why her MPs were allowing themselves to be bought by big money donors.
The Kilmarnock politician asked the Prime Minister why her cabinet colleagues and why Scots chief Ruth Davidson had been allowed to be “bought” at a controversial party fundraiser earlier this month.
But Speaker John Bercow said the MP’s question was “out of order” and let the Prime Minister escape having to answer Brown’s query.
During an auction at the Tory party’s annual Black and White fundraiser, banker Lubov Chernukhin paid £15,000 to have dinner with the Scottish Tory leader in Edinburgh.
She is the wife of Vladimir Chernukhin, a Russian oligarch and an ex minister in the government of Vladimir Putin.
The ex-pat also reportedly bid £30,000 for dinner with UK Government defence secretary Gavin Williamson. In 2014 Chernukhin previously paid £160,000 to play a game of tennis with David Cameron and Boris Johnson.
Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions, Brown said: “Previously I’ve highlighted that each Scottish Tory MP costs Scotland £265 million.
“It turns out that the Scottish leader is much cheaper, because for £15,000 you’re able to hire her out [for] a day. At that same dinner the defence secretary was on hire for £30,000, £2000 bought the international trade secretary, and £55,000 the Prime Minister.
“Does she agree with me, that although they’ll sell anything that moves, it’s time to halt the privatisation of the Tory MPs, and they should get on with the day job.”
The Speaker, stood up and asked Brown to clarify his question.
“Forgive me, I was struggling to hear,” he said.
“Just before I ask the Prime Minister to respond, I need an assurance from the honourable gentleman that he’s not suggesting that the presence of a member of parliament was bought, because if he is suggesting that, that is straightforwardly out of order. Is that what the honourable gentleman is saying?”, he added.
Brown replied: “Speaker I was referring to a story in the newspaper ...”
Bercow cut him off: “That’s not good enough.
“Forgive me. I have to make instant judgements. If the Prime Minister wishes to issue some sort of response she’s free to do so, but she’s under no obligation to do so.”
May declined to issue some sort of response.
Later in the session, the Prime Minister was asked by Glasgow MP David Linden to promise that no more of the city’s jobcentres would close.
“Over the last two months, this Government have butchered Glasgow’s jobcentre network. Will she look me in the eye and tell me that no more jobcentres in Glasgow are due for closure?”
May was unable to give that promise.
She said: “What we are doing in relation to jobcentre services is ensuring that there will be no decrease in the level of services that jobcentres offer people in Scotland.
“In fact, we are going to increase the number of work coaches across the country, to provide more support to the people who need it.
“Those plans are designed to retain the skills and experience of the DWP workforce across the country and to ensure that we not just protect but enhance the service offered to people.”
Moray’s Tory MP Douglas Ross asked the Prime Minister to comment on the Scottish Government’s announcement to delay the merger of British Transport Police and Police Scotland.
May said her government would work ministers in Edinburgh to make sure devolving the British Transport police went smoothly.
“Whether or not the British Transport police is merged with Police Scotland is, of course, a matter for the Scottish Government,” she added.
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