Points of Order

Paul Bristow Excerpts

Monday 23rd January 2023 Commons Chamber

[Paul Bristow (Peterborough) (Con)]

On a point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. I am grateful that you have given me this opportunity. Can you advise all hon. Members on appropriate behaviour in the Chamber? Last Tuesday, following a heated debate in the House and after making a fiery contribution, the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Lloyd Russell-Moyle) left the Chamber and returned shortly afterwards to sit on a side bench on the Government side of the House, despite there being plenty of space on the Opposition Benches. He then proceeded to stare at my hon. Friend the Member for Penistone and Stocksbridge (Miriam Cates). There can be no other explanation for that behaviour other than as an attempt to intimidate. Can you confirm that such behaviour is completely inappropriate and that all hon. Members have a duty not to attempt to intimidate other hon. Members?

[Madam Deputy Speaker (Dame Rosie Winterton)]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for that point of order and for giving me advance notice of it. Can he first confirm that he informed the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown (Lloyd Russell-Moyle) that he was going to make the point of order?

[Paul Bristow]

Yes, I did.

[Madam Deputy Speaker]

I am glad. As the hon. Gentleman knows, I said to the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown last week that he needed to moderate his language and that that was not the sort of behaviour we expect in the House. With regard to where he sat afterwards, he has not had an opportunity to respond to what the hon. Member for Peterborough (Paul Bristow) said. Obviously, I would not like to see any behaviour that was felt to be intimidatory to any other hon. Member, but I hope that he will understand that, having said that, it is very difficult for me to know what was in the mind of the hon. Member for Brighton, Kemptown regarding where he sat during the latter part of the debate. As the hon. Member for Peterborough knows, any hon. Gentleman or hon. Lady can sit in the end seats, but I would not want any hon. Member to feel intimidated by the behaviour of another.