Theresa May suggested there was no love lost between her and Boris Johnson on Wednesday when she refused to clap him while he left the Commons.
While almost every Tory MP stood, clapped and cheered as Johnson left the despatch box for his final time as PM, one among them stood out.
Footage from ITV’s Shehab Khan showed that May stayed sitting, even looking the other way as Johnson departed.
After a few seconds, she did stand, and stared after Johnson. Once the benches around her started whistling, she folded her arms and looked on after the prime minister.
May was actually forced out of Downing Street by her own party, much like Johnson, but the two have come to blows in the past.
She appointed him as her foreign secretary back in 2018, although they clashed over Brexit as Johnson repeatedly tried to make her take a more hardline approach with the EU.
May wasn’t the only person who held back from applauding Johnson upon his exit – Labour refused to clap at all.
An emotional MP has raised fears that she will be separated from her mother “indefinitely” after she was diagnosed with dementia.
Liz Saville Roberts, the Plaid Cymru leader at Westminster, revealed her mother was diagnosed with the disease just before Christmas.
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She told Boris Johnson she fears being separated from her because of covid restrictions on visiting.
The MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd was visibly upset and at points struggled to speak.
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Her question silenced the Commons after a particularly rambunctious prime minister’s questions in which Johnson went toe to toe with Labour’s Angela Rayner.
Saville Roberts told the Commons: “My mother, Dr Nancy Saville, was diagnosed with dementia just before Christmas, she had a stroke a year ago.
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“I was called to sit with her in hospital on Monday because of the Covid staff shortage, but I fear that myself like many constituents in similar circumstances are likely to be separated indefinitely when she is moved into an EMI nursing home.
“John’s Campaign has successfully campaigned in every UK nation that people disabled by dementia have a special need for person-centred care – and that’s under the Equality Act 2010.
“But, in reality, there remain many care homes and hospitals [where] even the most minimal visits can be denied – leading to isolation and separation which cause irreversible damage to wellbeing.
“Does he agree with me that the human rights of disabled people, sick people and the elderly are not fair-weather luxuries and that everyone with dementia, wherever they live has the right to family life.”
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The prime minister extended his sympathies to Saville Roberts and added: “I’m sure that the whole house and everybody who’s listened will have shared her feelings and simply wish to extend their condolences in view of her mother’s current condition.
“I know how her feelings must be exacerbated by the difficulties that so many people up and down the country are facing because of the restrictions we’re having to put on care homes and I sympathise deeply.”
He said they have to try “strike a balance” while keeping care home residents safe from the pandemic.
“We continue to allow three nominated visitors to care homes and there should be no limit to the duration of those visits,” he added.
“But I understand the particular distress and anxiety that [Saville Roberts’] circumstances are causing and can I suggest that she has a meeting as soon as it can be arranged with the secretary of state for Health.”
Sir Lindsay Hoyle spoke over the prime minister when he was tried to dodge a question from Sir Keir Starmer and reminded Johnson: “I’m not going to be challenged.
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“You may be the prime minister of this country – but in this house, I’m in charge!”
The leader of the opposition – Labour’s leader, Starmer – was pressing the prime minister over former Tory MP Owen Paterson, who was a paid lobbyist for health company Randox and briefly defended by the government before a dramatic U-turn.
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This firm won government contracts worth almost £600 million without competition, triggering concerns about how Downing Street spent taxpayer’s money.
Starmer asked: “There’s only one way to get to the bottom of this – if he [the prime minister] votes for Labour’s motion this afternoon, that [Randox] investigation can start. Will he vote for it or will he vote for another coverup?”
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Johnson replied: “I’m very happy to publish all the details of the Randox contract, which is being investigated by the National Audit Office already.
“Talking of coverups – I’m sorry Mr Speaker, but we still have not heard why the honourable gentleman will not –”
Hoyle interrupted the attempts to talk about Starmer’s own work outside of Parliament when he was a backbencher, urged the prime minister to “sit down” and told him “that’s the end of that” to the cheers of the opposition benches.
Johnson tried to quiz Sir Keir Starmer on his own second job outside parliament
BBC Parliament
Hoyle had already called for order repeatedly in the Commons just 10 minutes into the weekly prime minister’s questions.
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He also reminded Johnson “although I don’t want to fall out”, this time of the week is for prime minister’s questions, not questions to the opposition about their conduct.
“Whether you like it or not, those are the rules of the game that we are into, and and we play by the rules don’t we? And we respect the house so let’s respect the house,” Hoyle said pointedly.
When MPs continued to shout across the house at each other, Hoyle told them: “Look, we’ve already lost a dear friend – I want to show that this house has learnt from it.”
He was referring Paterson, who resigned in November after his breach of parliamentary lobbying rules triggered a sleaze scandal.
The government briefly tried to get Paterson off the hook for breaching lobbying rules but it has since turned into a national row about MPs’ standards and has centred on behaviour in the Tory Party.
Hoyle continued: “I don’t want each other to be shouted down. I want questions to be respected, I want the public to actually be able to hear the answers – because I’m struggling in this chair. I need no more.”
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