‘Such allegations should not be made lightly’
Speaker of the House Sir Lindsay Hoyle has said he’s “far from happy” with comments made by Boris Johnson in the commons on Monday afternoon.
Following a statement on the Sue Gray report, the prime minister accused Sir Keir Starmer of “failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile” while he serving as Director of Public Prosecutions of the CPS.
Hoyle said “such allegations should not be made lightly”, asking for “more compassionate, reasonable politics” adding “this sort of comment can only enflame opinions.”
Johnson has been widely criticised for the comment, including by his own MPs.
Tory MP and former chief-whip Julian Smith described it as a “smear” that “cannot be defended” and should be withdrawn.
The smear made against Keir Starmer relating to Jimmy Saville yesterday is wrong & cannot be defended. It should be withdrawn. False and baseless personal slurs are dangerous, corrode trust & can't just be accepted as part of the cut & thrust of parliamentary debate.
— Julian Smith MP (@JulianSmithUK) February 1, 2022
Speaking on Sky News on Tuesday morning, Starmer described the claim as a “ridiculous slur peddled by right-wing trolls.”
He also claimed he could see “disgust” in the faces of the Tory MPs when Johnson “debased himself” by bringing up Savile.
"A ridiculous slur peddled by right wing trolls" 😳
A furious @Keir_Starmer slams the Prime Minister for referencing Jimmy Saville and sinking parliament "into the gutter" 👀#KayBurley FM pic.twitter.com/SXuOCTO8sp
— Kay Burley (@KayBurley) February 1, 2022
Starmer led the CPS when it did not charge Savile but there is no evidence that he ever handled the case directly.
Given he had no direct involvement, he could not hinder the investigation.
Related links:
- Did Keir Starmer hinder the Jimmy Saville investigation?
- Scotland Yard handed more than 300 photographs of Downing Street parties
- Boris Johnson tells commons he will not stand down
