AN SNP MP has suggested that Tory minister who break Covid rules should be sent to do community service at food banks.
SNP Commons leader Peter Wishart also called for any minister issued with a fine to address the Commons “at the earliest possible opportunity”.
It comes after the Metropolitan Police closed its investigation into rule-breaking parties in Downing Street and Whitehall. A total of 126 fines were issued, including one each to the Prime Minister and Chancellor.
At Business Questions, Wishart began by taking aim at the UK Government over the cost-of-living crisis, listing the “top five of their most patronising drivel” delivered by Conservative MPs to those struggling to make ends meet. “Learn how to cook, work more hours, get a better job, put the named brands down, rent out your granny flat,” he told MPs, referencing a series of controversial comments made in recent weeks by Tory politicians.
“Maybe, Mr Speaker, we could have a debate about the real world and just examine how many of these Tories actually inhabit it,” Wishart added.
Moving on, he called for an “an urgent debate on law and order with a particular laser-like focus on the emergent criminal hotpots across the United Kingdom”.
He said: “Because with Operation Hillman now winding up, with an extraordinary and record breaking 126 fines, Number 10 Downing Street is now the biggest Covid law-breaking address in the whole of the country by a country mile.
“This party of law and order is now the party of parties in no particular order.”
Wishart added: “This criminal gang should be sent a short, sharp shock of some sort of community service, maybe even working in the food banks they like to talk about at such great lengths.
“For some reason this Government believes it has got away with this and the scale of this law-breaking will simply be set aside, but the more the people of this country suffer at the hands of their cost-of-living crisis, the angrier they will get with this party and the culture of partying at Number 10.”
126 fines have now been issued making Number 10 the number 1 centre of Covid law breaking in the UK. Now the police have finished this damning investigation we must now see the Sue Gray Report in full. Business Questions today. pic.twitter.com/6zhZjSMgS6
— Pete Wishart (@PeteWishart) May 19, 2022
The SNP MP asked: “Will he confirm that any minister who is issued with a fine will come to this House at the earliest possible opportunity?”
Responding, Commons Leader Mark Spencer said: “I understand why he is being a little bit excitable this week. It has not been a great week for the Scottish National Party.
“We have continued with the ferry-building fiasco which has now been going on for five years; the SNP leader has been touring the US to explain how an independent Scotland will join Nato with no military of its own – a sort of observation nation, I think is what they will be; they have recently nationalised their rail industry only to cut a third of the rail passenger services; and they have finally acknowledged that they are failing students in Scotland as they give up on their flagship election promise to reduce the attainment gap for students from the most-deprived areas.
“Unlike their ferries, I think the SNP are all at sea.”
Meanwhile, Conservative former chief whip Mark Harper called on the Commons Leader to confirm “that Sue Gray’s report will be published in full next week” and that the Prime Minister would make a full statement on it.
Harper said: “The Leader of the House will be aware that the Metropolitan Police has announced it has concluded Operation Hillman, its investigation into behaviour in Downing Street and Whitehall.
“He’ll also remember on Wednesday February 9, the Prime Minister gave me an assurance at the despatch box that as soon as inquiries were concluded, he would publish Sue Gray’s report immediately and in full, and the Prime Minister has also said that when the inquiries were concluded, he would be able to say more on this matter and I’m sure he would intend that his words, his first words would be to this House.
“So can the Leader first of all confirm that Sue Gray’s report will be published in full next week before the House rises for the Whitsun recess and that the Prime Minister will be coming to the House next week to make a full statement to be questioned on this very important matter?”
Spencer replied: “I am aware of those commitments made at this despatch box, I see no reason why those commitments won’t be delivered upon and I shall make sure his comments are fed directly back to those who will make those decisions.”
