North Wiltshire MP James Gray is calling for a reform of Prime Minister’s Question Time - which he says has been reduced by other MPs to “playground name-calling” which risks bringing parliament into disrepute.
In an address to constituents Mr Gray said that he can no longer stand attending PMQs because of the constant crowing and cat-calling.
“For the first time in years, I could not bring myself to attend Prime Minister’s Question Time. The braying and shouting from both sides is wearisome, the determination to catch each other out, what ought to be elevated and elegant discussions about great matters of state reduced to playground name-calling,” writes Mr Gray.
“I think the whole institution of PMQs needs reforming, as it risks bringing our great parliament into disrepute.”
Mr Gray also said that he is fed up with the 'partygate' scandal surrounding gatherings in Downing Street during lockdown and says he will no longer comment on the “tawdry” matter until the full report of Sue Gray’s investigation has been published.
“I am increasingly finding ‘party-gate’ a tiresome waste of time and energy, Whitehall and Westminster are paralysed by it,” writes Mr Gray.
“Sue Gray has now reported; or at least sort of. I find it hard to imagine how the intervention of the Metropolitan Police who are answerable to Parliament has been allowed to delay/divert an inquiry commissioned by Parliament into these tawdry events.
“But apparently we must now wait for their investigations to be completed before we can truly know what happened in No 10 Downing Street.
“The full report must then be published (500 pages and 300 photographs), together with any penalty which the Police may impose. These are matters of key public concern.
“Until that happens, I do not intend to comment on it any further. Nor will I discuss my views of the Leadership, nor any of the various plots and sub-plots, letters to the 1922 Committee, slurs and accusations which may be swirling around.
A running commentary on these matters cannot be helpful; and are at any event a diversion from the truly important things we should be focussing on.”
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