Teesside Labour MPs have responded to the “stomach churning” TV interview between Tory Stockton West MP Matt Vickers and Jeremy Kyle in which the two laughed and joked while discussing an arson attack on the Prime Minister and his family.
Middlesbrough & Thornaby East MP Andy McDonald said his neighbouring Member of Parliament had acted “as badly wrong as it’s possible to get” and said Vickers – a Conservative Party Deputy Chairman – should “apologise and grow up”, before adding “sadly he will do neither”.
Talk TV show
Vickers appeared on Jeremy Kyle’s Talk TV show on Tuesday (16 June) to discuss the arson attack on Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s home which this week saw two men convicted for plotting to damage property. The court heard the pair were stooges for a shadowy Russian-speaking taskmaster known as “El Money”.
During the TV appearance Vickers and Kyle laughed through homophobic innuendo and conspiracy theories, while Vickers remarked on the Prime Minister “blowing himself up”.
“He should be ashamed of himself”
The matter was then raised in the House of Commons by Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy yesterday (Wednesday, 17 June) in a response to Vickers in which Lammy said: “Yesterday he was on television laughing and joking about the arson attack on the prime minister’s home.
“Laughing about a firebomb targeting the prime minister and his family. Not only that, he joined with promoting conspiracies about the attack and laughed along to demeaning, homophobic remarks.
“He should be ashamed of himself. My advice to him is to grow up, apologise, and do considerably better.”
“Vickers got this about as badly wrong as it’s possible to get”
Today Andy McDonald, Member of Parliament for Middlesbrough & Thornaby East, said:
“Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy was absolutely right to give Matt Vickers an excoriating dressing down yesterday at PMQs in response to the Stockton West MP’s disgusting performance on television with host Jeremy Kyle, laughing and joking about the appalling arson attack directed at the Prime Minister and his family.
“That Vickers sat on the Commons benches wearing the white rose in honour of our murdered colleague Jo Cox, was stomach churning.
“Vickers got this about as badly wrong as it’s possible to get, and he should apologise and grow up but sadly he will do neither.
“It says a great deal about him.”
“Matt Vickers is not fit to be an MP “
Meanwhile Labour Party chairwoman and Member of Parliament for Redcar Anna Turley said: “It is frankly sickening that anyone would seek to laugh and joke about an appalling attack on a fellow politician’s family home.
“To do so on the same day as we stood in unity to mark the anniversary of our dear friend and much-missed colleague Jo Cox, is beyond the pale.
“Matt Vickers is not fit to be an MP and if Kemi Badenoch had an ounce of integrity or respect for the safety of those who seek to serve the public, she would do the right thing and sack him today.”
This article is based on a media release from the office of Andy McDonald MP.
