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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Politics
Dave Burke

Tory MP tells Labour frontbenchers to 'shut up' and accuses them of 'chirping'

A Tory MP sparked anger after accusing Labour frontbenchers of "chirping" and telling them to "shut up".

Paul Howell lashed out during a fraught debate about whether Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng should be allowed to accept thousands of pounds in severance pay.

As MPs opposite asked questions, he snapped: "You have chirped and talked - do you want to hear or do you want to shut up?"

Loud gasps were heard and Labour MPs Lisa Nandy, Sarah Owen, and Paula Barker were seen looking shocked at the unseemly outburst.

It came during a debate over a Labour motion calling on Ms Truss and Ms Kwarteng to hand back thousands of pounds in golden handshakes.

Labour's Paula Barker, Sarah Owen and Lisa Nandy looked shocked at the outburst (Parliament TV)

Ms Nandy had said it was "obscene" that the duo should be awarded £19,000 and £17,000 respectively after leaving chaos in their wake.

But Mr Howell said it was "wholly inappropriate for political intervention", adding: "I think it is up to the individual if they want to choose not to take it because they think it is inappropriate, then they can make those decisions."

The Conservative MP immediately apologised. Deputy Commons Speaker Nigel Evans accepted the apology but reminded the opposition: "This isn't a chat. This is a debate."

MPs were today told it would take "some brass neck" to trouser the cash - with Labour calling on PM Rishi Sunak to step in.

Conservatives were accused of siding with "arsonists" by allowing the former Prime Minister and Chancellor to take home the generous packages.

But a government frontbencher said it is "not appropriate" for Mr Sunak to intervene - and said both Ms Truss and Mr Kwarteng could choose to decline the payments they are entitled to.

Tory Paul Howell apologised after telling the Labour frontbench to 'shut up' (Parliament TV)

Shadow levelling up secretary Lisa Nandy told the House of Commons: "It's obscene that the former Prime Minister is in line to receive a severance payment of almost £19,000 and the former Chancellor is set to rake in £17,000.

"That's more than many of my constituents earn in an entire year, it would take some brass neck to pick up that much for a job so atrociously done."

She fumed that Ms Truss and Mr Kwarteng had "treated the people of this country as lab rats for their own ideology" - and said they were "unsuitable" for the roles they were given.

She urged MPs not to support those who "profited from the crisis that they've caused".

Ms Nandy, addressing Tory MPs, asked: "Are you going to side with the arsonists? These severance payments are indefensible, now it's time for the new Prime Minister and his MPs to decide which side they're on."

Labour MP Chris Bryant added that the government should "go" if they lose a vote on his party's motion to censure the former PM and Chancellor, who each lasted less than six weeks in their jobs.

Mr Bryant said people losing their homes because of the impact of the mini budget ate "furious and scandalised" that those responsible are "being rewarded with multi-thousand pound pay-offs".

He said: "The Government may try to pretend that today's motion is irrelevant, but will she (Lisa Nandy) confirm that in every single case in the past when a motion such as this of censure has been tabled, the Government has always sought to vote it down, not just run away, and sometimes it's led either to people losing their salary, or resigning, or the Government falling?

"So they can't just pretend nothing is happening today. They've either got to vote it down, and if they lose, they go."

A Tory minister was heckled as she tried to convince members that it was "wholly inaccurate" to claim that the mini-budget was to blame for soaring mortgage payments.

Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng are entitled to thousands of pounds of severance pay (PA)

Housing minister Lucy Frazer said: "I'd like to start by recognising, as the Prime Minister has done, mistakes have been made. Indeed, no government is immune from mistakes. But to suggest, as the Opposition has done, that these mistakes are the cause of a particular average increase in monthly mortgage rates is simply wholly inaccurate."

But she said the government would not be intervening to prevent Ms Truss and Mr Kwarteng from taking their severance allowances if they choose to.

Ms Frazer said both Ms Truss and Mr Kwarteng had served as ministers for a "considerable amount of time" before they took the top offices.

She added: "Although this is a statutory entitlement, ministers are able to waive such payments. That is not a matter for the government, it is entirely a discretionary matter for the individuals.

Lisa Nandy called on Tory MPs to stop huge severance payments to Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng (UK Parliament)

"The government doesn't regard it as appropriate to make arbitrary demands of individuals in relation to their entitlements."

Under rules in place for decades, sacked frontbenchers are entitled to claim 25% of their annual salary in severance - as long as they don't rejoin the government within three weeks.

Ms Frazer pointed out that Labour ministers had accepted severance payments during the Tony Blair and Gordon Brown years - with the sum hitting £1 million in 2010, when Labour was voted out.

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