Sky/Fox Merger

John Bercow Excerpts

Tuesday 12th September 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to make a statement.

--- Later in debate ---

[Tom Watson]

rose—

[Mr Speaker]

I do not think there is a procedure for responding.

[Tom Watson]

On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

[Mr Speaker]

We do not normally take points of order in the middle of statements, but I am in a generous mood, and I will hear the hon. Gentleman if he is characteristically brief.

[Tom Watson]

I will be brief, Sir. I am very sorry to hear the allegations that the Secretary of State has made, and I promise her that I will go away and look at the evidence. If Labour party members are involved in this, we will deal with them. Let me say to her that I have been as sickened as she has been by the way in which our colleagues in this House have been targeted for doing their jobs. A heavier load is carried by our female colleagues, so let me make it clear: you can either be a misogynist or you can be a member of the Labour party, but you cannot be both. If she gives me the evidence, we will deal with this.

[Karen Bradley]

Further to that point of order, Mr Speaker.

[Mr Speaker]

Yes, briefly.

[Karen Bradley]

I just want to respond by thanking the hon. Gentleman. I think we are at one on that point, and we would like to work in a cross-party way on these matters.

[Mr Speaker]

Thank you.

[Damian Collins (Folkestone and Hythe) (Con)]

I thank the Secretary of State for her statement, and for agreeing to appear in front of the Select Committee during the first week back after the conference recess, when we will have the chance to question her further on this matter. I hope that she will agree that this process is working: it is right that such questions about broadcasting standards and whether licence holders are fit and proper persons are taken by the appropriate independent regulatory body. It should not be for politicians to exercise discretion about who they think should or should not hold licences, but to provide official guidance for the regulator.