A cabinet minister has vented Tory fury at John Bercow by calling on him to explain his decision to allow Jeremy Hunt to be branded a liar.
The Commons Speaker is facing anger among Conservative MPs after permitting Labour MP Chris Bryant to accuse the Culture Secretary of lying over Rupert Murdoch’s £8 billion bid to take complete control of BSkyB.
Sir George Young, the Commons Leader, intervened when Mr Bryant launched his attack in the Chamber on Mr Hunt last month.
The Cabinet minister argued that accusing an MP of lying was “unparliamentary language” and demanded the Labour MP be forced to withdraw his claim.
But Mr Bercow stunned MPs by allowing the accusation to stand, as the motion being discussed was whether Mr Hunt had misled Parliament.
He said he had taken advice on the issue and that “nothing disorderly had occurred”.
In a subsequent letter to the Speaker Sir George said: “Members continue to raise their concerns with me, and their disquiet that such a direct accusation was allowed to take place on the floor of the Chamber.
“It would reassure members if you could put into the public domain the advice you received before you made your ruling on the issue.”
The Speaker replied that MPs should be free to deploy arguments which supported the motion.
But he added that there were “aspects of the debate that I found regrettable and upsetting” and insisted that his ruling had not set a new precedent.
