Senior Tory MP reported to police after being accused of 'striking' colleague during heated spat
Senior Tory MP reported to police after being accused of 'striking' colleague during heated spat
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A senior Conservative MP has been reported to the police for allegedly striking another MP and claiming that he said "you are a b*****d" in a spat in the Houses of Parliament.
Crispin Blunt allegedly hit former Tory MP Andrew Bridgen in the back of the head and made the remarks as he left the Adjournment restaurant this afternoon.
Last night Blunt said the claims were "not true" but declined to elaborate further.
The alleged attack came just two days after Bridgen had criticised Blunt’s defence of Hamas in an online newspaper article about the crisis in Israel and Gaza.
According to Bridgen, Blunt said 'you are a b*****d' and then headed off
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According to Bridgen, Blunt said "you are a b*****d" and then headed off towards the escalators that take MPs to the Palace of Westminster.
The incident was said to have been witnessed by Bridgen's wife Nevena and his sister-in-law, who were sitting with him at a table.
A GB News journalist was sitting at a neighbouring table and saw the aftermath of the incident, but did not witness Mr Blunt allegedly striking Mr Bridgen.
Two armed Metropolitan Police officers attended the scene with two other offices and two Commons security staff. One of the officers took a statement from Bridgen at the scene.
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Blunt had said in 2021 that banning Hamas will have a 'terrible chilling effect' on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
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Bridgen was expelled from the Conservatives last year for alleged "antisemitism" for quoting a Jewish Israeli scientist suggesting that the problems with the Covid vaccine could be the worst crime against humanity "since the Holocaust". He is now a Reclaim MP.
In an article in the Express on Saturday, he questioned why the Tory party was "happy to keep an MP [Blunt] who opposed Hamas being designated a terror organisation".
Blunt had said in 2021 that banning Hamas will have a "terrible chilling effect" on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
On Monday, Downing Street rebuked Blunt for saying the UK could be complicit in war crimes being committed in Gaza.
Israel attacks: Over 1,000 people have died amid Hamas conflictGETTYHe told Sky News on Saturday: "If you know that a party is going to commit a war crime - and this forcible transfer of people is a precise breach of one of the statutes that governs international law and all states in this area - then you are making yourself complicit.
"And as international law has developed in this area, the fact of being complicit makes you equally guilty to the party carrying out the crime."
Responding to the Reigate MP’s comments, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: "We disagree with that.
"I think we’ve heard from the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary the importance of protecting civilians whenever it is possible.
"But it is vitally important that we do not lose sight of the fact that it is Hamas, Hamas’s actions which are endangering the Palestinians."
On Monday night a Parliamentary source told GB News that the matter was now in the hands of the Commons authorities and the Whip’s Office.
The source said: "We are aware of an incident in Portcullis House earlier today. The matter is being dealt with by the House authorities and the Whips’ Office."
A Parliamentary spokesman said: "The Behaviour Code makes clear the standards of behaviour expected of everyone in Parliament - whether MPs, staff, Members’ staff, members of the House of Lords, press, contractors or visitors. There is zero tolerance for abuse or harassment."