Kemi Badenoch faces a call to apologise for filming part of a Conservative Party political broadcast in Parliament. Commons Leader Lucy Powell called for a “full and speedy apology” after she heard allegations the Tory leader also used a Government-funded car in the four-minute video. The broadcast, which aired on BBC One on Wednesday, features a brief clip of Speaker’s Court, part of the Palace of Westminster.
Julie Minns, the Labour MP for Carlisle, said on Thursday that Ms Powell “is committed to ensuring (rules and procedures) are upheld and respected at all times”. She continued: “I imagine she therefore shares my concern that last night’s political broadcast from the Conservative Party not only extensively featured the use of a taxpayer-funded ministerial car but also was filmed in part on the parliamentary estate in Speaker’s Court, in direct contravention – as I understand it – of the rules of this House.
“Can I ask the Leader of the House to ensure that this matter will be fully investigated?”. Ms Powell replied: “She’s absolutely right. This is against protocol. “It is against protocol of this House to speak without permission, particularly in Speaker’s Court, and I think the Leader of the Opposition, if she is hearing this today, should offer Mr Speaker (Sir Lindsay Hoyle) a full and speedy apology for that.
“But also we have high standards that we’re all judged by, and using ministerial, Government-paid-for, publicly paid-for cars for party political campaigning purposes is not allowed, and rightly so because our constituents wouldn’t expect that to be the case. “So, I hope the Leader of the Opposition has heard this question today and takes action to put this right.”. Speaker’s Court lies in front of the Speaker’s House, where Sir Lindsay has a private flat.
The broadcast features clips of several locations, including Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament, Horse Guards Road and Buckingham Palace, as well as a farm, a pub and a printing company. In the video, Mrs Badenoch described Westminster as a “bubble”, adding: “I find that people end up just talking about themselves, talking about Westminster – who’s up, who’s down, who did this, who did that – rather than people out in the country.
