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Dominic Cummings: Anger at MPs 'not surprising', PM's adviser says Dominic Cummings: Anger at MPs 'not surprising', PM's adviser says
(about 5 hours later)
It is "not surprising" there is anger directed at MPs over Brexit, the PM's adviser Dominic Cummings has said.It is "not surprising" there is anger directed at MPs over Brexit, the PM's adviser Dominic Cummings has said.
The former Vote Leave chief said the only way the issue of abuse will be solved is if MPs "respect" the result of the EU referendum.The former Vote Leave chief said the only way the issue of abuse will be solved is if MPs "respect" the result of the EU referendum.
Mr Cummings's remarks came after Boris Johnson defended his use of language in Parliament amid criticism from MPs. He also denied Downing Street was under pressure, adding "we're enjoying this".
On Wednesday, Mr Johnson dismissed a Labour MP's complaint that his language risked provoking attacks as "humbug". Mr Cummings' remarks came after Boris Johnson defended language he used in Parliament amid criticism from MPs.
MPs criticised a number of comments Mr Johnson made during an ill-tempered debate in the House of Commons, the day after the Supreme Court ruled the prorogation of Parliament was unlawful. The prime minister insisted he "deplores any threats to anybody, particularly female MPs" after he described one MP's safety concerns as "humbug" during an ill-tempered debate that followed the Supreme Court ruling that the suspension of Parliament was unlawful.
Meanwhile, the daughter of Labour MP Yvette Cooper has made an emotional plea to politicians over their language, saying she is "scared every single day" for her mother's safety. But he also defended describing a law seeking to block no-deal Brexit as "the surrender bill".
And a man has been arrested for allegedly verbally abusing staff at Labour MP Jess Phillips' constituency office in Birmingham. Speaking at a book launch on Thursday evening, Mr Cummings said MPs had spent three years "swerving all over the shop" following the Brexit referendum.
At a book launch on Thursday evening, Mr Cummings said: "The MPs said we will have a referendum, we will respect the result and then they spent three years swerving all over the shop. "It is not surprising some people are angry about it," he said.
"It is not surprising some people are angry about it. I find it very odd that these characters are complaining that people are unhappy about their behaviour now and they also say they want a referendum." "I find it very odd that these characters are complaining that people are unhappy about their behaviour now, and they also say they want a [further] referendum."
He added: "If you are a bunch of politicians and say that we swear we are going to respect the result of a democratic vote, and then after you lose you say, 'we don't want to respect that vote', what do you expect to happen?"He added: "If you are a bunch of politicians and say that we swear we are going to respect the result of a democratic vote, and then after you lose you say, 'we don't want to respect that vote', what do you expect to happen?"
He said both Leave and Remain campaigners had received "serious threats" of violence, which he said should be taken seriously. Mr Cummings said both Leave and Remain campaigners had received "serious threats" of violence, which he said should be taken seriously.
"In the end the situation can only be resolved by Parliament honouring its promise to respect the result," he said, echoing the prime minister's words in the Commons. "In the end, the situation can only be resolved by Parliament honouring its promise to respect the result," he said, echoing sentiments expressed by the prime minister in the Commons on Wednesday.
"Believe me," Mr Johnson told MPs. "The best way to ensure that every parliamentarian is properly safe and to dial down the current anxiety in this country is to get Brexit done." 'We are going to win'
PM 'deplores threats' Mr Cummings also denied that Downing Street was under pressure following the Supreme Court ruling, a series of Parliamentary defeats and the backlash against Mr Johnson's comments.
Mr Cummings also said Downing Street was "not under pressure". "This is a walk in the park compared to the referendum. We are enjoying this, we are going to leave and we are going to win," he said.
"This is a walk in the park compared to the referendum, we are enjoying this, we are going to leave and we are going to win," he said. BBC political correspondent Helen Catt said his comments were unlikely to smooth tensions in Parliament, where MPs have expressed concern that Downing Street could seek to bypass legislation, passed earlier this month, to block a no deal Brexit.
Earlier, a video showed Labour shadow minister Karl Turner approaching Mr Cummings and urging him to dial down the "inflammatory" language used by the prime minister. The Benn Bill - which Mr Johnson has been referring to as the "surrender act" - says the prime minister will have to ask the EU for an extension to the 31 October Brexit deadline if he is unable to pass a deal in Parliament, or get MPs to approve a no-deal Brexit, by 19 October.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn warned that the PM's language was encouraging people to behave in a "disgraceful and abusive way", as MPs debated the use of language in the Commons on Thursday. Former prime minister Sir John Major - who on Thursday accused Mr Johnson of "wilfully" destroying the prospects of a cross-party agreement on Brexit - expressed concern that the government might seek to bypass the law by suspending the act until after 31 October.
In the debate, several MPs said the prime minister should apologise for saying the best way to honour MP Jo Cox, who was murdered during the EU referendum campaign, was to "get Brexit done". Sir John said he thought the government might be planning to do this by passing an Order of Council, which can be approved by Privy Councillors - government ministers - and has the force of law.
MPs also detailed some of the threats they had faced, with Tory MP Caroline Noakes describing how someone called her a "traitor who deserved to be shot" on a walkabout in her constituency. On Thursday night, the Conservative Party Chairman James Cleverly refused to rule the idea out.
But Mr Johnson insisted he "deplores any threats to anybody, particularly female MPs", and he said that "tempers need to come down" in Parliament. He told BBC Question Time: "I'm not going to discuss how we're going to progress through this.... I'm not going to talk through how the government intends to discharge its business, knowing full well that there are a whole load of people who will try and distort every procedure that we have in British politics to try and prevent that."
However, former attorney general Dominic Grieve said he was confident any attempt to circumvent the act would fail.
Downing Street has consistently said the government will obey the law, but Mr Johnson has also insisted he will not seek a delay to Brexit, which the act mandates.
'Scared every day'
Earlier on Thursday, MPs debated an urgent question over "the use of language" during Wednesday's ill-tempered debate, with several members calling on the prime minister to apologise.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn warned that the prime minister's language was encouraging people to behave in a "disgraceful and abusive way".
The daughter of Labour MP Yvette Cooper also made an emotional plea to politicians over their language, saying she is "scared every single day" for her mother's safety.
And a man was arrested for allegedly verbally abusing staff at Labour MP Jess Phillips' constituency office in Birmingham.
In interviews with the BBC, Mr Johnson acknowledged that "tempers need to come down" in Parliament.
But defending his use of the word "surrender", the prime minister added: "I do think in the House of Commons it is important I should be able to talk about the surrender bill, the surrender act, in the way that I did."
What is the Benn bill?
When Mr Johnson talks about the "surrender bill", he is referring to the European Union (Withdrawal) (No. 2) Act, also known as the Benn bill.
The act - which became law earlier this month - stipulates the prime minister will have until 19 October to either pass a deal in Parliament or get MPs to approve a no-deal Brexit.
Once this deadline has passed, he will have to request an extension to the UK's departure date to 31 January 2020 from the EU.
If the EU responds by proposing a different date, the PM will have two days to accept that proposal. But during this two-day period, MPs - not the government - will have the opportunity to reject the EU's date.