An explosive bust-up in the Home Affairs Committee this morning, as Red Wall Rottweiler Lee Anderson clashed with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley over the Met’s handling of eco-protesters. Somebody ring 999…

A furious Rowley accused Anderson of “making selective comments” over the Met’s failure to do anything about protesters repeatedly blocking the roads:

“You’re making selective comments based on a partial understanding of the law. I do not want Londoners disrupted any more than anybody else does. But the law is very clear that protest is disruptive, and to a certain extent, that is allowed… you may not like that, but I have to work to the law rather than win.”

“To a certain extent” is doing some heavy lifting in that comment…

Lee immediately bit back by telling Rowley he hadn’t done his job properly and was wasting his time:

“I think you might want to believe that you’re doing your job correctly, Commissioner, but I don’t think you are… I feel like I’m wasting my time with you to be honest. You say you took five years out of the force. There’s probably people listening to this today who wish it was a lot longer, and I’m one of them. Do you think you’ve got the confidence of the public?”

Rowley claimed he wouldn’t comment on that last “personally offensive” question. He does have the right to remain silent, after all…