Senior Labour MPs have been slammed after they were seen mocking the scenes in Brussels as police were called in by a left-wing mayor to shut down the National Conservatism Conference.
Nigel Farage, Suella Braverman and Hungarian PM Viktor Orban are all currently trapped inside the Belgian venue, with fury erupting at the anti-free speech scenes.
In the Commons this afternoon, Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting was seen mocking the scenes, in stark contrast to the widespread anger from many onlookers.
Mr Streeting, speaking in support of the Government’s controversial smoking ban, laughed his way through a vainglorious speech: “Boris Johnson has said this proposal is ‘absolutely nuts! It’s just mad!’”
“Well now he knows how the rest of us felt when he was prime minister.
“And of course a source close to [Suella Braverman] – who couldn’t be here today with us because she’s currently in Brussels surrounded by the police who are trying to shut down the event she’s attending with some far right fanatics with whom she has much in common – said she is ‘not a fan of the Bill’.”
“Well now she knows how the rest of us feel about [her].”
The speech, which had Labour MPs chortling along, has now been blasted by onlookers.
Tory MP Marco Longhi said the speech that made light of the anti-free speech scenes in Brussels is a warning of “what is coming to the UK under Labour”.
Baroness Claire Fox asked: “ Are we to conclude that censorship and police raids of public events, featuring political opponents, are a cause for giggles on Labour front bench?”
“Hardly reassuring for the future of UK democratic debate.”
One Twitter user accused the Labour Party of being “snide authoritarians” with “utter contempt for free speech, debate and the battle of ideas”.
Another said Labour “are really malevolent, nasty people to a man and woman. Absolute extremists. Streeting is allegedly one of the sensibles.”
A third said: “Suppressing free speech, excluding all voices that dissent? Hilarious”.
Mr Streeting later attacked Liz Truss’s speech on the grounds she criticised the Chief Medical Officer and civil servants for pushing what she believes to be an anti-freedom policy in the smoking ban.
Mr Streeting raised a point of order to ask whether it’s acceptable to attack the CMO and other civil servants who are unable to answer back.
