News / Politics
Debbonaire accused of being ‘really hurtful’ to fellow Labour MP
Thangam Debbonaire has been accused of being “really hurtful” to a fellow Labour MP after visibly cringing in the House of Commons.
At one moment while Zarah Sultana was speaking from the backbenches, the Bristol West MP put her head on the shoulder of a colleague sat next to her at the despatch box.
She had previously looked at the ceiling of the chamber while Sultana was being rebuked by the deputy speaker who asked her to “moderate her language” after describing ministers as “dodgy”.
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Speaking to LabourList to mark Islamophobia Awareness Month, Sultana said that she “was really not sure what I had done wrong”.
“This convention where you just have to be respectful, it’s like beyond respect. It’s like you are complicit, to some extent, in them getting away with it, because you can’t even call them out.
“We’re calling them honourable. These people are not honourable. They’re not honourable at all. They are completely self-interested. And dodgy, I think, is the mildest term that I could have used.”
Thangham Debbonaire appears embarrassed about Zarah Sultana’s handling of the situation – photo: Parliament Live TV
The MP for Coventry South was elected to parliament for the first time in 2019 aged 26 and says she has yet to speak to Labour leader Keir Starmer.
When Sultana repeatedly refused to withdraw her comment, Debbonaire, sitting on the Labour frontbenches, appeared to express embarrassment about her colleague’s handling of the situation.
“I didn’t see it at the time,” said Sultana. “I had only seen it after people were posting the video online. And quite honestly, it was really hurtful to see that.
“It’s just really hurtful when you see those things, because you expect support and solidarity from people in your party.”
Debbonaire declined to comment when contacted by Bristol24/7.
Main photo: Parliament Live TV
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