Labour backbencher Brian Leishman didn’t hold back in the Commons this afternoon after Darren Jones confirmed ethics adviser Laurie Magnus would investigate Cabinet Office minister Josh Simons over the Labour Together smeargate scandal. He fumed:
“We all know that Labour Together helped mastermind the prime minister’s own personal rise to the highest office in the land. And that they stand accused of running an orchestrated campaign to smear and discredit journalists. I think the prime minister should be here in this house answering questions, but my prediction is that day will come. Does the frontbench agree with me and an ex-founder of Labour Together when I quote him in saying that this is some dark sh*t?”
Speaker Lindsay Hoyle gave him quite the telling off. Meanwhile, John McDonnell shouted “whitewash” as Jones confirmed Magnus would only look at Simons’ conduct as a minister – not his actions while running Labour Together. Anger on the backbenches…
Former leader of the SNP in Westminster Ian Blackford told Times Radio why he believes Nicola Sturgeon’s claim that she spent no time in the kitchen and therefore didn’t see any of her husband’s purchases:
“She doesn’t have a passion for cooking.”