In sixty seconds, Dawn Butler outlines how parliament is broken

Dawn Butler and Charlie Elphicke


Support us and go ad-free

As reported in The Canary, Labour MP Dawn Butler was ordered to leave the House of Commons on 22 July. This was because she called prime minister Boris Johnson a liar.

Butler clearly explained how Johnson had lied – about growth in the economy, nursing bursaries, investment in the NHS, and the current pandemic. But it made no difference, and the speaker of the House barred her from parliament for one day.

Butler hits back

Now, Butler’s hitting back. In a video released on social media on 24 July, she says she’s starting a campaign for change in parliament. In that video, she highlights the unfairness of her receiving the same one-day-punishment as three Tory MPs. This is despite their offences being way more serious.

Five Tory MPs broke parliament’s ethics code when trying to “improperly influence” two judges. But just three of the five received a ban. The other two simply had to apologise.

As reported in the Mirror:

The MPs had asked the judges not to release character references for Charlie Elphicke, a former Tory MP jailed for two years for sexual assault.

In a joint letter on House of Commons stationery in November 2020, they claimed releasing the character references could have a “chilling effect and harm the criminal justice system”.

Read on...

Support us and go ad-free

Butler said:

how this government and their MPs treat women is appalling

And she repeated the fact that Johnson’s a liar:

He’s lied his whole life. He lied to the Queen when he lied about why he was closing down parliament. He got sacked from his job as a journalist for lying, for making up quotes from people.

She added:

So we know he’s a liar. But protocol says that we can’t say it before the house of parliament. I can’t call him a liar, but he can be a liar. Things need to change. And that’s why I’m starting a campaign to change parliament

Support for Butler

When the House of Commons speaker ordered Butler to leave, social media erupted in support of Butler. It seems her comments about Johnson’s relationship with the truth resonated with many people:

Talk about obvious

The very idea that someone would get kicked out of the House of Commons for saying what Butler said confused and shocked most people. But it’s hardly the first time a female Labour MP has had to deal with this kind of contradiction regarding ‘proper parliamentary behaviour’. To go through a list of such events in their entirety would simply take too long.

The reform Butler is calling for is therefore hardly surprising and long overdue.

Featured image via – Twitter – Dawn Butler MP & Wikemedia Commons – Chris McAndrew

Support us and go ad-free

We know everyone is suffering under the Tories - but the Canary is a vital weapon in our fight back, and we need your support

The Canary Workers’ Co-op knows life is hard. The Tories are waging a class war against us we’re all having to fight. But like trade unions and community organising, truly independent working-class media is a vital weapon in our armoury.

The Canary doesn’t have the budget of the corporate media. In fact, our income is over 1,000 times less than the Guardian’s. What we do have is a radical agenda that disrupts power and amplifies marginalised communities. But we can only do this with our readers’ support.

So please, help us continue to spread messages of resistance and hope. Even the smallest donation would mean the world to us.

Support us
  • Show Comments

    1. In a Feudal capitalist monarchy such as the UK, with a representative commoners Parliament House headed by an aristocrat related to the monarch…..
      What on earth did you expect…

      Report comment

      1. This is correct.

        I went to a Russell Group University, which was the first time I encountered the kind of Tories who are now in the Commons, Lords, higher echelons of the Civil Service, Armed Forces, BBC, etc. The sense of unquestioning entitlement, the boorish and bombastic contempt of others was a revelation and a shock.

        Some have a sense that politeness and occasional acts of kindness are good things, but not to be overindulged in, for the plebeians might forget their place.

        Report comment

    3. In sixty seconds, Dawn Butler outlines how parliament is broken
      /////
      It’s WELL-DONE about time ALL Labour -M.P.-Minister and their leader all give Tory party member in the H.O.-Com A GOOD talking to over their Tory party M.P. + Minister + Boris lies every day to the public Labour party member STOP sitting in the H.O.-Com taking all the C**p form Tory lying party members your voters will then start to trust you again.

      KICK the male member in the balls–plus the hair out of the female Minister at the despatch box telling constant lie to cover up Tory Prime Ministers C**p including misleading information to us voter plus resident of all of U.K. areas.

      Start a new comeback after the holidays break Labour good luck to you all– Mr Starmer back up your party members that speak out not take the whip away protect them all if you wish to regain power next G.E. or at least more voters in the H.O.-Com.

      Labour go kick Tory’s members ASSES over the holiday time as well use the internet to gain more voters while Tory Member bask in the sun doing p**s all as normal to help any U.K. resident out.

      Report comment

      1. Thanks for offer but NO Thanks I will sate this fact
        My speling + Grammer may not be up to scrach
        But I look at it this way you do not need good Grammer + Spelling to put
        a X at side of a party members name at G.Eelection -or local area Cllr elcetion
        finally
        Piss taking any poster just to peddle your APPs is a bloody bad move SIR.

        Report comment

    Leave a Reply

    Join the conversation

    Please read our comment moderation policy here.