A war of words broke out in the House of Commons chamber when a female Labour MP was told to “sit down” by a group of Tory MPs.
Sarah Owen found herself in the firing line after she criticised Tory MP Paul Howell’s alleged failure to declare his 17 properties.
Ms Owen’s opponents also told her to “shut up”, to which she responded: “Make me. Make me”.
Sarah Owen rips into Paul Howell(Tory MP) after his point of order.
— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) November 28, 2022
The Honourable member told me to "shut up in this chamber... " pic.twitter.com/IhCWsK2AFV
Who is Sarah Owen?
She has been the MP for Luton North since 2019 and is the first female MP of Chinese descent.
Luton North is a safe Labour constituency, having been held by the Conservatives for much of the 1980s and 1990s.
The Labour Party member and trade unionist was appointed as Shadow Minister for Local Government and Faith in October 2022. She was Shadow Minister for Homelessness, Rough Sleeping and Faith between December 2021 and October 2022.
She has also been a political adviser to business magnate Lord Alan Sugar, a political officer for the GMB trade union, and worked on Labour’s national small business policy.
Ms Owen was educated at the University of Sussex and has worked as a NHS care worker and in the London Fire Brigade’s Emergency Planning Department.
She has previously voted in favour of the Finance Bill, the Ban on Fracking for Shale Gas Bill, and the Identity and Language (Northern Ireland) Bill.
She has voted against the Public Order Bill, Energy (Oil and Gas) Energy and Profits Levy Bill, and Elections Bill.
In the last 24 hours this absolute bundle of joy entered our lives. She weighed in at 7.8lb and is already making her presence known. Thank you to the wonderful NHS for their care throughout the pregnancy and seeing her safely into this world. 🧡❤️ pic.twitter.com/kjeJWDP8c0
— Sarah Owen MP (@SarahOwen_) February 4, 2020
What was her issue with MP Paul Howell’s 17 properties?
Mr Howell, who has been the Tory MP for Sedgefield since 2019, has 17 properties across Durham and Darlington. He also has an apartment in Spain, according to the MPs’ register of interests.
The HuffPost reported that Mr Howell was accused of failing to declare these.
Ms Owen had retweeted the article, with Mr Howell denying its accusations and stating that he had checked the situation with the Commons Speaker’s office.
But Ms Owen argued that Mr Howell should have declared his interests, commenting: “Outside this place, thousands of people are struggling to pay their mortgage or afford one home, let alone 17.
“And now [they] may have found it not declarable... not declarable, but relevant.”
Her comments provoked howls of derision from the Tory benches, prompting Commons Deputy Speaker Dame Rosalie Winterton to intervene.
Dame Rosalie said: “The honourable lady has the right to have her say and don’t challenge me.”
Ms Owen added: “I’d be grateful, Madam Deputy Speaker, for your advice on how members like myself should respond when the honourable member for Sedgefield tells me to, and I quote, ‘shut up’ in this chamber, where I speak for my constituents and now he is also attempting to shut me up online as well. What message does this send to women who want to be in politics when they see men like that?”
Conservative MP Shaun Bailey (West Bromwich West), along with others, could then be heard telling Ms Owen to “sit down” while she spoke.
Ms Owen retorted: “ Make me. Make me. Do you want to tell me to sit down out there?”
Mr Bailey argued that her conduct was “threatening”.
Dame Rosalie said Mr Bailey had not been “not very courteous” and that the incident was not a good “advert” for Parliament.
Ms Own responded: “What message does this send to women who want to be in politics when they see men like that?”
