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Brexit: Boris Johnson addresses Tory backbenchers as critics accuse him of 'inciting hatred towards MPs' – live news
Brexit: Boris Johnson unrepentant over 'surrender' rhetoric as Corbyn calls him 'reprehensible' – live news
(32 minutes later)
Justine Greening, a former Tory cabinet minister who now sits as an independent, having had the whip removed, tells the Commons she was “shocked” by the language Boris Johnson used yesterday.
She says she thinks there is a “deliberate race to the bottom” in British politics now, that disadvantages MPs who are not prepared to go along with it.
Here is more from what Boris Johnson told Conservative backbenchers at his private meeting with the 1922 Committee.
From my colleague Rowena Mason
Boris Johnson told MPs at 1922 that he would carry on using the phrase surrender bill but did say MPs must all be careful about using language of violence
Boris Johnson left the 1922 to shouts of “Will you apologise?” from journalists - he scuttled off with no comment
From HuffPost’s Paul Waugh
In 1922 meeting there was a sombre moment when @PennyMordaunt told MPs she was with @BorisJohnson in 2016 when news came through that Jo Cox had died. She said 'Boris's reaction was so human'. "It was a moving moment in there," one Tory MP says.
From Mail Online’s David Wilcock
Striking how few Tory MPs leaving 22 Committee with Boris after around 30 mins stopped to chat to reporters compared with the dying days of Theresa May’s premiership. Not many smiling faces either tbh.
Boris Johnson was described as ‘ebullient’ and ‘full of bonhomie’ by two walking out, others looked pretty sullen.
Jeremy Corbyn is speaking on this topic for Labour.
He says it is “extremely disappointing” that Boris Johnson is not here himself to answer the UQ.
Johnson’s language last night was “nothing short of disgraceful”, Corbyn says. He says the way Johnson dismissed concerns about the murder of Jo Cox and the role language can play in inciting attacks like that was “reprehensible” and “completely unacceptable”.
Corbyn says Johnson was trying to “entrench divisions”.
He urges the PM to apologise. Johnson’s language “fell well below the standards expected by the people of this country”, Corbyn says.
Corbyn says Boris Johnson should apologise for his “reprehensible” comments about threats to MPs yesterday.
The Tory MP Maria Miller questions the appropriateness of Jess Phillips raising this point. She says that during last night’s statement Phillips herself was one of the Labour MPs shouting the loudest at Johnson
Foster is responding to Phillips.
He says he does not consider anyone in the Commons as a traitor.
He says, as the minister responsible for the government’s defending democracy programme, he would be happy to meet Phillips.
He repeats the points he made earlier about how the government is trying to increase security for election candidates.
Ultimately it is for everyone to think about the language they use, he says.
He says the government wants to respond with “calm dignity” and to create a safe environment for all.
He does not say whether the PM himself will be willing to meet Phillips, and he does not comment on Johnson’s language.
Jess Phillips is speaking now.
She says the language used by Boris Johnson last night was “clearly designed to inflate hatred”.
She says she was appalled to hear him refer to a reference to the murder of Jo Cox as “humbug”.
Johnson should apologise, she says.
She asks the minister, Kevin Foster, if the PM will be willing to meet her, and some of Cox’s friends and families, so that they can tell him how hurt they were by his language.
John Bercow, the Speaker, is making a statement in the Commons.
He says in light of the “appalling atmosphere in the chamber yesterday and the toxicity that it can spawn or exacerbate in the country at large” he has granted an urgent question.
The Labour MP Jess Phillips. She wants a statement on whether the PM will he effect of language used by MPs.
She wanted Boris Johnson to answer, but instead the junior Cabinet Office minister, Kevin Foster, is replying.
Foster says the government understands the importance of language. He says it is going to make intimidating election candidates an offence. And he says the police have been reviewing security for MPs.
He does not say anything about the language used by Boris Johnson yesterday.
The Brexit secretary, Steve Barclay, will travel to Brussels on Friday for a meeting with Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Downing Street has said. But the PM’s spokesman has also said that although progress has been made in negotiations with Brussels, “there are significant obstacles remaining to concluding a deal”.
The Brexit secretary, Steve Barclay, will travel to Brussels on Friday for a meeting with Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Downing Street has said. But the PM’s spokesman has also said that although progress has been made in negotiations with Brussels, “there are significant obstacles remaining to concluding a deal”.
From my colleague Matthew Weaver
From my colleague Matthew Weaver
Here's a word cloud of Boris Johnson's opening statement to Parliament last night pic.twitter.com/uQjZUWQeYM
Here's a word cloud of Boris Johnson's opening statement to Parliament last night pic.twitter.com/uQjZUWQeYM
From the Spectator’s James Forsyth
From the Spectator’s James Forsyth
At 1922 meeting just now, Boris Johnson told Tory MPs that ‘they [Labour] are trying to drive us off the word surrender because they know it is cutting through’. Clear he is not going to stop using the phrase
At 1922 meeting just now, Boris Johnson told Tory MPs that ‘they [Labour] are trying to drive us off the word surrender because they know it is cutting through’. Clear he is not going to stop using the phrase
The European commission has joined those reprimanding Boris Johnson for the language he used in the Commons last night about his opponent. This is what the commission’s spokeswoman, Mina Andreeva, said on the subject.
We would remind everybody that respect is a fundamental value in all democracies. It is the responsibility of each and every politician to uphold our values. History has shown us what happens when they are not respected.
.@EU_Commission on tone of House of Commons' debate: "Respect is the key word. Respect is a fundamental value of all our democracies. It's the responsibility of each and every politician to uphold our values. History has shown us what happens when they're not respected"#Brexit pic.twitter.com/PwsjO1fJcF
Boris Johnson is addressing the backbench Conservative 1922 Committee. These are from some of the journalists doorstepping the meeting.
Loud desk banging and door banging as @BorisJohnson enters 1922 cttee meeting
Cheers as the Prime Minister arrives at the ‘22
Dominic Cummings arrives in Parliament as the PM gets ready to face the 1922 committee
Boris Johnson has arrived at a meeting of the 1922 committee of Tory MPs. Cheering as the prime minister arrived but one person inside says “half the room is silent”
In the Commons, in response to an urgent question, Liz Truss, the international trade secretary, has admitted that the government has made further breaches of the court ruling banning arms sales to Saudia Arabia that could be used in Yemen, my colleague Dan Sabbagh reports.
Liz Truss admits to the Commons that govt made further breaches of the court ruling banning arms sales to Saudi that could be used in Yemen. And minister admits *more breaches may be found*. Another example of the govt failing to adhere to the law...
Jo Cox’s sister, Kim Leadbeater, has joined Cox’s husband (see 7.45am) in expressing alarm about the language used by Boris Johnson in the Commons last night. Leadbeater told Sky News:
I watched parliament TV for four hours last night and I was mesmerised and dumbstruck by the scenes that I saw before me.
I think the prime minister needs to think very carefully about the language he uses.
I think everybody has to think really carefully about the language they use.
Nigel Farage, the Brexit party leader, has defended Boris Johnson’s decision to use terms such as surrender and betrayal in the Brexit context.
When Boris Johnson uses words like surrender and betrayal, he is right.That’s why he should not surrender to the Withdrawal Agreement and betray 17.4 million people.
The argument against such language is that it is inflammatory because it frames Brexit, an issue that is supposed to be about a trading relationships with friendly countries, in terms of warfare, with the EU depicted as an enemy power.
The Tory MP Simon Hoare has called for a change of tone from Boris Johnson. Hoare, who voted remain in 2016, told the Commons:
There needs to a change in the mood music emanating from No 10 because as a Tory party we obey the rule of law and the fact that is in question in this place should bring shame on all of us.
Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, picking up from Matthew Weaver.
One consequence of Boris Johnson’s extraordinary provocative and divisive performance in the Commons last night is that it has made it much, much harder to see how any opposition MPs could vote with him for a Brexit deal in the next few weeks. It is hard to know whether he is even at all serious about trying to get an agreement through the Commons.
This has just been confirmed in the chamber by Labour’s Lisa Nandy, one of the opposition MPs who has been trying to drum up support for a cross-party deal. Condemning Johnson’s “horrendous, divisive language”, she said:
For those of us who do want to work cross-party to achieve a deal, this is making it much, much more difficult.
The Labour MP Paula Sherriff has accused the prime minister of inciting hatred against MPs.
Speaking to the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme she said she was horrified by Boris Johnson’s dismissal of her concerns about threats to MPs as “humbug”. Sherriff said:
We talk about it in the tearooms. People are really frightened and for him to treat it almost like a joke, was absolutely horrific and demeans the office of prime minister.
I believe the prime minister is inciting hatred towards MPs. I understand the importance of saying that, but I know that feeling is shared by many of us.
She said one MP had contacted her since last night saying the rhetoric used meant she would not stand at the next election. But Sherriff said she herself was determined to continue as an MP. She said: “I will not let these bullies win and I include the prime minister in that.”
She said she feared that another MP could be killed and insisted she was “not scaremongering”.
She also called on MPs from all sides of the house to tone down their rhetoric: “We all need to reflect on our language and our behaviour. The bad behaviour is not exclusive to Conservative MPs.”
But she singled out the Treasury minister Simon Clarke for accusing her of making a “toxic” intervention in her angry question to the prime minister.
This is the face of the Labour Party today. Utterly toxic. https://t.co/YidW5GppfE
Sherriff described Clarke’s tweet as abhorrent. “It makes me sick,” she said.
She said she had had threats of rape, murder and mutilation earlier this year.
The abuse comes every day, thankfully the death threats don’t. Last night the overwhelming majority of the communications I received were supportive, including from many Conservative supporters. But equally I received some horrific abuse last night much of it misogynistic. We urgently need to dial down the rhetoric.
Labour MPs remain furious about Johnson’s comments about Jo Cox, but many are now citing her memory to try to mend divisions.
I’ve been thinking very deeply about Jo Cox in the last couple of days, not least because I spent time with her sister yesterday. Jo was a future party leader and potential Prime Minister. She could have healed a divided nation and we would have been proud of her.
We all have a responsibility to weigh our words but only one side talked of “surrender” and “capitulation” last night egged on by Tory press who call judges and remainers mutineers and saboteurs. All time low& insult to Jo Cox #moreincommon visionInbox full of emails like this pic.twitter.com/zos679RpwH
I wish it hadn’t needed saying, but Jo’s murder didn’t happen in a vacuum but in a context, a context similar to today. @MrBrendanCox is spot on this morning and we should all heed his advice. https://t.co/WSIFosC90s
In 2017 I made 1st speech in this Parliamentary session. In ‘proposing the loyal address’ I said, ‘The country expects our debates to be robust but there is room for consensus too. We should reflect on Jo Cox’s words about there being more that unites us than divides us’ #naive
Duddridge refuses to be drawn on what circumstances the government would seek an extension to the 31 October Brexit deadline. He again repeats that the government will obey the law.
Brexit minister James Duddridge repeatedly saying the government will obey the law, but which one - the one which requires the PM to seek an extension or the one which says Britain leaves the EU on October 31?
