JACOB Rees-Mogg has said he is concerned about Nicola Sturgeon’s blood pressure after she accused Boris Johnson of acting like a "tin pot dictator".
The First Minister spoke out on Wednesday after the Tory leader decided to suspend Parliament. Sturgeon told the BBC that the PM's move was “not democracy", adding: "This is dictatorship."
But the Leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, has hit back Johnson's critics, saying the outrage was "phoney".
READ MORE: Boris Johnson hit by resignations amid Parliament shutdown backlash
In an interview with the BBC Scotland, the Tory MP was asked to comment on Sturgeon’s criticism.
He said: “The First Minister of Scotland would have been outraged if the Government had said Christmas day would fall on December 25.
“That is her default position and one does begin to worry about her blood pressure. I hope she’s well and doesn’t get too angry all of the time.”
Under the plan the suspend Parliament, MPs will return to Westminster on September 3, with the shutdown to begin between September 9 and 12. Parliamentarians are due to return on October 14 for the Queen’s Speech, three days before EU leaders meet for the final European Council before the Brexit deadline on October 31.
Between the EU summit and the Brexit date, only seven days are scheduled for the Commons to sit.
“I hope she’s well and doesn’t get too angry all of the time”
— Glenn Campbell (@GlennBBC) August 29, 2019
@Jacob_Rees_Mogg responds to @NicolaSturgeon calling PM “tinpot dictator” for shutting down parliament
Accuses critics of trying to use “any means necessary” to stop #Brexit pic.twitter.com/MHptoGYST7
It was put to Rees-Mogg that the Tory government is “curtailing the rights” of MPs to debate and potentially block a No Deal withdrawal.
He responds: “No I don’t think that’s accurate. There will be plenty of time to debate Brexit, actually more time under this schedule because you will have the days of debate on the Queen’s Speech and then if a deal is done at the European Council on October 16 and 17, you will have to have the legislation for that.
“So there will be plenty of time to debate, vote on and even legislate about our leaving the European Union.”
READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon: This was the day independence became inevitable
Asked if the UK Government would abide by legislation passed to block No Deal in the short window afforded to MPs, Rees-Mogg says the Johnson administration would “obviously obey the law”.
He adds: “But actually the people who want to remain in the European Union need to stop talking in code and to be honest. They’re not worried about No Deal, they just want the EU and they want to frustrate our departure from the EU by any means necessary.”
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