Thursday morning in parliament brings with it Business Questions and the chance for Penny Mordaunt to slap down another opponent from the despatch box. Today though, her stand-out moment came not against her regular SNP opponents but rather a former colleague. Andrew Bridgen, the sage of North West Leicestershire, called for a debate on capital punishment in a not-so-subtle way of obtaining a clip for his vaccine-hating fan-base. He said to Mordaunt:
I’ve always opposed capital punishment on the principle that it’s wrong to take a life so it can’t be right for the state to take a life in revenge. Events have caused me to reconsider my position. So, Madam Deputy Speaker, can we have a debate on crimes against humanity and the appropriate punishment for those who perpetuate, collude and cover up for these atrocities, atrocities and crimes so severe that the ultimate punishment may be required?
It was left to Mordaunt to reply and administer a withering put-down that would have embarrassed even the most brazen of MPs. Warning Bridgen of the impact of his words, she told her fellow MPs to noises of approval that:
I think the Honourable Gentleman’s incredibly subtle question is not lost on anyone in this House where he might be taking it. It is appropriate that the finale of this session, which has featured conspiracy theories, should fall to the honourable gentleman. And I would just caution him also just to reflect with the things that have been said about his own behaviour, what he does on social media, the security measures that have had to be stepped up for honourable members in this place in the wake of some of his social media tweets and questions in this House.
Whatever my disagreements with the honourable gentleman, I will always stand ready to get answers from departments and assist the honourable gentleman in his work. But I’m going to call out on every occasion when he is doing things that are, I think, a danger to our democracy and also the safety and security of members of this House.
Ouch. Talk about a Penny pounding.
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