Home Secretary James Cleverly Apologises For Using 'Un-parliamentary' Language

Transcript

00:00 Further to that point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. For the avoidance of doubt, the Honourable

00:09 Gentleman accused me of making derogatory remarks about his constituency. My response

00:16 issued through my office was that I did not, would not and would never make such comments

00:28 about his constituency. What I said was a comment about him. My apology was for using

00:42 unparliamentary language. But I will make it absolutely clear, Madam Deputy Speaker,

00:48 for the avoidance of doubt, with no ambiguity, I did not, would not. Then what are you calling

00:54 me, sir?

01:01 The Honourable Gentleman asked for the Home Secretary to come back to the Chamber to issue

01:07 an apology. He is doing so, so it is not—

01:11 Enough.

01:12 Enough. So the Honourable Gentleman ought to hear what the Home Secretary has to say

01:22 and not to shout from his sedentary position, please. Home Secretary.

01:30 Madam Deputy Speaker, I know what I said. I rejected the accusation that I criticised

01:37 his constituency. My criticism, which I made from a sedentary position about the Honourable

01:44 Gentleman, was of inappropriate language, for which I apologise. But I will not accept

01:52 that my criticism was of his constituency because it was not.

01:58 Then what are you saying, sir?

02:02 This is not a debate and the matter is now closed. The right Honourable Gentleman, the

02:09 Home Secretary, has rightly come to the Chamber. He has apologised to the Honourable Gentleman.

02:18 That is an apology which is rightly due to the Honourable Gentleman and I hope he will

02:25 accept it.

02:26 Point, point.

02:27 No, no, no, I'm not taking—

02:29 It is—

02:30 I will briefly listen to the Honourable Gentleman, but I wish to close this matter.

02:36 I don't actually require any apology for an insult against me because it didn't happen.

02:42 But the fact is, even as you've just intimated, that the Home Secretary has apologised to

02:48 me. He has not apologised to me. He has not apologised to the people of my constituency.

02:52 He has apologised for using unparliamentary language.