Tory MP praised for ‘class’ speech on Harriet Harman amid Privileges Committee debate

In what’s been described as a “refreshing” contribution to the House of Commons, Tory MP Laura Farris has been praised for her remarks about mother of the House and Labour politician Harriet Harman during a debate on the work of the Privileges Committee.

Ms Harman is the chair of the cross-party group of seven MPs, which last month criticised former prime minister and ex-Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP Boris Johnson for “deliberately misleading” the Commons over the Partygate scandal.

Exactly two weeks after this report was published, the committee shared a new one calling out what it considered a “co-ordinated campaign of interference” in its inquiry into Mr Johnson, naming MPs such as Talk TV host Nadine Dorries, GB News presenter Jacob Rees-Mogg and former home secretary Priti Patel.

The majority of MPs supported the committee’s main report into Mr Johnson, in a vote which saw him blocked from receiving a parliamentary pass afforded to former members, and would have seen him suspended for 90 days had he not resigned as an MP before the report’s publication.

Monday, meanwhile, saw MPs debate that second report around alleged interference and vote on whether to approve its findings – and it was during this discussion that Ms Farris made her “class” remarks.

She noted Ms Harman had expressed “no previous interest” in becoming chair of Privileges Committee, but stepped forward nonetheless.

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

The Newbury MP continued: “[She] had already announced her intention to retire from parliament at the next election, a parliamentary career that has spanned five decades, and has been defined – probably more than any other person that ever sat in this House – by her commitment to the advancement of women’s rights.

“14 weeks before she took up that appointment, her husband of 40 years, Jack, had died.

“Against this background, I invite members of the House to consider what is more likely: that she agreed to chair the committee as a final act of service to this House, or that she did so because she was interested in pursuing a personal vendetta against Boris Johnson.”

As other MPs around her muttered their approval, Ms Harman appeared visibly emotional as she was touched by Ms Farris’s contribution.

And Twitter users were equally impressed by the “class” speech too:

The motion to approve the report – which also included a section stating MPs “should not impugn the integrity” of the Privileges Committee or “attempt to lobby or intimidate” its members – was passed without a vote.

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.