James O'Brien on landmark significance of Dawn Butler being escorted from Commons
23 July 2021, 15:39
James O'Brien on significance of Dawn Butler being thrown out Commons
James O'Brien explains the momentous significance of MP Dawn Butler being asked to leave the House of Commons after she refused to withdraw claims that the Prime Minister has "lied to the House and the country over and over again".
James reflected that this was "by far the most important story of the day", saying to listeners the MP for Brent was thrown out of the Commons "for telling the truth about lies told in the House of Commons by Boris Johnson."
He continued: "It speaks of something almost Trumpian in its significance, it speaks of a rupture, it speaks of a break in normality, it speaks of a consequence of a deliberate assault upon the truth.
"You've seen what happens when a politician and a leader is permitted by much of the media to lie to the population unchallenged."
He said that it took America a "long time to catch up with it" which ultimately resulted in Trump "still swanning around Florida claiming that he won the election when he categorically didn't."
Read more: Dawn Butler opens up about the moment she was escorted out of Parliament
MP Dawn Butler lists 'lies' Boris Johnson told in Commons
Continuing about the PM: "Because his assault upon convention, his assault upon normality, his assault upon basic decency was so complete, so Dawn Butler has ended up almost wearing around her neck as a millstone the conventions that Boris Johnson treats with utter contempt.
"That, to me, is a really important story. It has created now a country in which a politician gets thrown out of the legislature for telling the truth about a politician who is in charge telling a lie in the same chamber."
James said, "If you were falling for the notion that it was some sort grandstanding by the member for Brent or some sort of publicity stunt, now hopefully with that simple explanation will understand that it is much much much more than that."
Labour MP kicked out of the Commons for calling Boris Johnson 'a liar'
Ms Butler exclusively told LBC about the moment she was removed from the Commons and escorted out of the Parliamentary estate for the rest of the day.
Ms Butler told MPs in the Commons: "Poor people in our country have paid with their lives because the Prime Minister has spent the last 18 months misleading this House and the country over and over again."
She highlighted disputed claims made by the Prime Minister, adding: "It's dangerous to lie in a pandemic.
"I am disappointed the Prime Minister has not come to the House to correct the record and correct the fact that he has lied to the House and the country over and over again."
