Panama Papers Debate

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Department: Cabinet Office

Panama Papers

Dennis Skinner Excerpts
Monday 11th April 2016

(8 years, 6 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton Portrait The Prime Minister
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I am grateful for my right hon. Friend’s support. We have a system for Members’ interests which was put in place at the end of 13 years of Labour Government. I think we should maintain that system. I do not want us to discourage people who have had a successful career in business or anything else from coming into this House and making a contribution. That is why I have said that for Prime Ministers and Chancellors, shadow Prime Ministers and shadow Chancellors, it is a different set of arrangements.

Dennis Skinner Portrait Mr Dennis Skinner (Bolsover) (Lab)
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Does the Prime Minister recall that in the time after he became Prime Minister in the coalition, when he was dividing the nation between strivers and scroungers, I asked him a very important question about the windfall he received when he wrote off the mortgage of the premises in Notting Hill and did not write of the mortgage of the premises the taxpayers were helping to pay for in Oxford? I did not receive a proper answer then. Maybe “Dodgy Dave” will answer it now—[Interruption]and by the way—[Hon. Members: “Withdraw!”]

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. I must ask the hon. Gentleman—[Interruption.] I do not require any assistance from some junior Minister—an absurd proposition! I invite the hon. Gentleman to withdraw the adjective he used a moment ago. He is perfectly capable of asking his question without using that word. It is up to him, but if he does not wish to withdraw it, I cannot reasonably ask the Prime Minister to answer the question. All he has to do is withdraw that word and think of another.

Dennis Skinner Portrait Mr Skinner
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Which word?

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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I think he knows—the word beginning with D and ending in Y that he used inappropriately. Withdraw—it is very simple.

Dennis Skinner Portrait Mr Skinner
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I know what you are talking about, Mr Speaker. This man has done more to divide this nation than anybody else, and he has looked after his own pocket. I still refer to him as “Dodgy Dave”—[Interruption.] Do what you like! [Interruption.]

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. I am sorry, I must ask the hon. Gentleman to withdraw the word—

Dennis Skinner Portrait Mr Skinner
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Not a chance!

John Bercow Portrait Mr Speaker
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Very well.

The Speaker ordered Mr Skinner, Member for Bolsover, to withdraw immediately from the House during the remainder of the day’s sitting (Standing Order No. 43), and the Member withdrew accordingly.