A member of the Reform Party expressed frustration by slamming down documents after facing repeated interruptions during a session of Prime Minister’s Questions, leading the Commons speaker to step in.
Lee Anderson, representing Ashfield, tried to convey to Deputy PM David Lammy that there is unrest among Labour backbenchers. In response, Lammy quipped that Anderson had “upgraded the IQ of the Labour Party” by departing from the Conservatives and subsequently joining Reform UK.
While attempting to proceed with his inquiry, an MP sitting behind Anderson heckled him multiple times, taunting him about not having a TV license, a point Anderson has previously boasted about. This led Anderson to glare at the MP before giving up on his question and emphatically setting down his papers.
Speaker Lindsay Hoyle then interjected, calling out the heckler and urging them to own up to their disruptive behavior or leave the chamber.
Continuing his line of questioning directed at Lammy, Anderson mentioned that unlike the Prime Minister, he had never been banned from a pub and criticized recent decisions affecting pubs. He also challenged Lammy to address the closure of hundreds of pubs under Labour’s tenure.
In response, Lammy avoided the pub-related question and instead ridiculed Anderson and Reform UK. He recalled campaigning alongside Anderson when he was a Labour member.
The government recently announced a 15% reduction in business rate bills for struggling pubs, with additional relief measures in place. The Mirror has been actively supporting pubs through its Your Pub Needs You campaign, advocating for support for pub owners and their communities.
