Post
by tamada » July 23, 2021, 10:53 pm
Probably not the first and that's why Parliamentary etiquette demands that an MP cannot simply accuse a fellow MP of lying while invited to speak in the House.
Sounds fair to me. If Blackford stands up and says to Johnson, "You lied," all that Johnson or anyone else so accused needs to do is stand up and say, "No I didn't." Thereupon Blackford would say, "Oh yes you did," and Johnson would retort, "Oh no I didn't." Thus any pithy debate founders in pantomime.
By re-stating or quoting something the PM or one of his flunkies has claimed as policy or fact that has already been seen to be rubbish, fallacious or misleading but then inviting the person making those dubious claims to comment makes for a more robust ebb and flow of parliamentary debate, waffling, toe stubbing, flubbing and panic (I miss Hank Wanksocks furtively darting eyes already).
Unfortunately, due to the permanent weak-wrists of the Opposition as seated, when Johnson flim-flams and wiff-waffs grandeloquently in response, one's eyes just tend to glaze over and change channel. We leave it to the press, LBC radio and Farage to use the "L" word in earnest.