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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Politics

Dennis Skinner calls Theresa May 'frit': Labour MP uses Margaret Thatcher jibe to blast the PM

Mr Skinner hit out at the PM's plan to delay the vote

Labour's Dennis Skinner today lashed out at “weak” Theresa May, labelling her “frit” which is a jibe famously used by Margaret Thatcher.

The Labour backbencher also accused the Prime Minister of “handing over the power to the EU” by delaying parliament’s vote on the Brexit deal.

Mr Skinner said: “Doesn't the Prime Minister realise that she's handed over power, not to people in this House, but she's handed over power to the people she's going to negotiate with – over there in Europe.

“She looks very weak, and she is.

“Mrs Thatcher had a word for it, what she's done today, F-R-I-T, she's frit.”

Mrs Thatcher had previously accused Labour politician Denis Healey of being Frit in the 1980s – an abbreviation for frightened.

Mr Skinner’s comments came after the PM confirmed plans to delay the Commons vote on her Brexit deal.

Under pressure on Brexit: Theresa May (Parliament TV. )

Mrs May humiliatingly called of Tuesday’s vote, blaming division over the Irish backstop.

In response to Mr Skinner, she said: “I have every confidence that if I had not listened to members of this House, then Mr Skinner would have stood up and complained about that."

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