Penny Mordaunt slapped down Labour MP Dawn Butler during a feisty exchange in the House of Commons, accusing her party of being “packed with the same old socialists and a few new plastic patriots” before adding: “The truth hurts.”
And Ms Butler, the MP for Brent Central, was also taken rebuked by Deputy Speaker Eleanor Laing after accusing Ms Mordaunt of “misleading MPs”.
Leader of the House of Commons Ms Mordaunt did not pull any punches as she addressed the Chamber two days after nationwide celebrations in honour of England’s patron saint.
She said: “The Labour Party hasn’t changed at all.
“While Labour have been stuffing prawn cocktails, they’ve been devising 70 new business burdens they’re planning on introducing.”
She continued: “While posing next to submarines they voted to scrap our deterrent several members of their front bench and are refusing to match our baseline on defence spending.
“And while they criticise and sneer at those that do not celebrate the St George’s flag, they are allowing some of them to occupy the Labour front bench.
“Today’s Labour Party are packed with the same old socialists and a few new plastic patriots.”
Ms Butler then challenged with a point of order, insisting: “The leader of the House is just misleading the House.”
However, Ms Laing cautioned: “The honourable lady cannot accuse the Leader of the House of misleading the house, that would be quite wrong.
“And if she had if she had done something along those lines, then I would have stopped her immediately.
“If the honourable lady means that she disagrees with the leader of the house that’s a different matter.”
Ms Butler replied: “It’s a matter of fact that this side of the House celebrated St. George’s Day. We all put it on our social media. The Leader of the House is completely incorrect in what she just said to the house.”
Ms Laing then urged Ms Butler to acknowledge that she in fact meant ahything Ms Mordaunt said “might have said would have been inadvertently” at which point Ms Butler urged Ms Mordaunt to “correct the record right now”.
Ms Mordaunt said: “I had finished my response to the honourable lady opposite but I’m happy to add the truth hurts.”
