The leader of the SNP leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford, was ordered to leave the House of Commons by the Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle during the PM's address following the publication of the Sue Gray report into No 10 parties.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford responds to a statement by Prime Minister Boris Johnson to MPs in the House of Commons on the Sue Gray report. Picture date: Monday January 31, 2022.
House of Commons
Ian Blackford said the PM intentionally misled Parliament over the allegations of Downing Street parties during lockdown.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle warned the SNP Westminster leader several times to withdraw his comments or he would have to order him to leave the chamber.
Mr Blackford walked out of the chamber as the Speaker was ordering him to leave.
Mr Blackford said: "Mr Speaker the Prime Minister has misled the House.
"He has wilfully misled Parliament.
"The Prime Misters personal integrity is in the ditch.
He went on: "If there’s any honour in public life then he would resign.
"The public know this is a man they can no longer trust, he is being investigated by the police, he misled the house and now he must resign.
"Mr Speaker the Prime Minister has misled the House!"
Parliamentarians are forbidden from accusing each other of lying during debates in Parliament.
Speaker of the House, Sir Lindsay Hoyle.
House of Commons
The row came following the PM's address to MPs after the release of the Sue Gray report.
The PM said he wanted to "get on" with the job of "delivering for Britain."
However Sir Keir Starmer and the SNP Westminster leader called for his resignation.
Former PM Theresa May mocked the PM, enquiring whether he ignored the Covid rules he imposed or did not understand, when he attended parties in Downing Street during lockdown.
The Sue Gray report did not name any officials or staff that were alleged to attend parties in No 10, but it did say there had been 'serious failures' and that changes needed to be introduced before the conclusion of the Met Police investigation.
12 events are currently being investigated by the Met. The Sue Gray report suggests one of these parties is the PM's alleged birthday party in Downing Street, in which there was allegedly a birthday cake. At the time of Boris Johnson's birthday in 2020, the country was locked down.
