JACOB Rees-Mogg faced criticism this morning after suggesting Tory MPs didn’t need to wear masks due to their “convivial” spirit.

The Leader of the House made the comments last week amid rising Covid cases – even after Health Secretary Sajid Javid suggested more figures on the Government benches should start masking up.

While more MPs have been donning face coverings this week, Rees-Mogg’s face was noticeably bare at this morning’s Business Questions.

Pete Wishart, the SNP’s longest serving MP, took aim at Rees-Mogg over his continued refusal to put on a face covering. It came after both Keir Starmer and SNP MP Owen Thompson were forced to self-isolate after testing positive for the virus.

“The Leader of the House should be thoroughly embarrassed about his ridiculous comments from Business Questions last week, when he suggested that Tory MPs are protected from Covid because they have a more convivial, fraternal spirit,” Wishart told the House.

“It’s so convivial that several of them are now off having caught Covid, along with the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Whip of the SNP.

“Tory MPs are not immune! Staff and visitors are now obliged to wear face masks but MPs are not in a do as we say edict.”

Wishart celebrated the fact that more MPs had masks, but noted that the “Leader of the House’s fizzog remains unadorned from this modest disease-stopping piece of cloth”.

“He’s got a perfectly good Union Jack face covering – for goodness sake man, put it on!” the MP instructed. “Be the Leader of the House, not the Libertarian of the House!”

The National:

In his response, Rees-Mogg failed to address the issue of masks and instead criticised Wishart’s performance in the Chamber.

“One does like to think sometimes of what dinner must be like in the household of the honourable member for Perth and North Perthshire – because everything is a disgrace, it is an outrage, it is shocking,” the Conservative MP for North East Somerset said.

“The sound and fury that enthuses the honourable gentleman whenever he gets to the Chamber allows no time for nuance, for things being degrees of acceptableness or not being favourable. It is always this absolute outrage which fortunately I answered entirely in my answer to the honourable lady, the shadow leader.”

Rees-Mogg had already faced questions on masks from Labour shadow leader Thangam Debbonaire.

In his response to her, the Leader said masks were not compulsory in workplaces – but insisted he’d taken a lateral flow test.

“I am negative and therefore I am not going to be spewing Covid around this Chamber, because I have taken a negative lateral flow test,” he said.

READ MORE: Rishi Sunak 'proud' to bypass Scottish Parliament in levelling-up scheme

He also accused Labour MPs of having gone “maskless” during a party at their conference in Brighton in September.

Rees-Mogg went on: “I would remind her of the Daily Mirror party at the socialists’ conference, which I have heard more about since last week, that not only was it a maskless fest, where alcoholic beverages – which will be cheaper thanks to the marvellous Budget yesterday – alcoholic beverages were imbibed, I hear there was dancing. Maskless dancing!”