Reclaim Party MP Andrew Bridgen claims Tory MP Crispin Blunt called him an “utter b******” and slapped him on the head following a disagreement in the House of Commons.
Bridgen, who joined Reclaim after being booted out of the Conservatives, has reported Blunt to the parliamentary authorities following the incident on Monday.
He has now demanded Blunt apologises for the “chop”. Parliamentary officials confirmed they have been made aware of an incident in the Portcullis House and said the Commons authorities and the whips’ office were dealing with it.
Blunt, a former minister who represents Reigate in Surrey, did not respond to the PA news agency when approached for a comment.
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Bridgen, who represents North West Leicestershire, said he was not injured during the incident. But he claims there were a “number of witnesses” who have since spoken to the Parliament’s authorities after he reported it to security.
He told the PA news agency: “I was sitting at one of the round tables in Portcullis House and he went by the back of me and hit me on the back of the head with his hand and said, ‘You’re a bastard’ and then legged it off.
“I was just completely shocked. That’s not the behaviour you would expect from a Member of Parliament.
“I’m asking for an apology, it’s just unbelievable behaviour.”
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Bridgen believed that the incident was “completely unprovoked”, apart from him having questioned to a newspaper why he had the whip removed by the Tories but Blunt has not for past comments about Hamas.
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.”
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