but now comes the leader of the opposition
Mr Speaker when the Prime Minister briefly emerged from his hibernation at the weekend
he raised more questions than answers so in the interests of integrity and accountability
can he set the record straight did his now form a chair tell government officials that it was under
investigation by the tax man before or after the Prime Minister appointed him prime minister
Mr Speaker I appointed the independent advisor to investigate this matter fully
tale over the weekend and on receipt of those findings I took action and
I referred honorable gentleman to the independent advisors report [Applause]
oh come on anyone picking up a anyone picking up a newspaper in July last year would have
known that hmrc and the National Crime agency were investigating months before he appointed
him Mr Speaker the independent 6th of July new Chancellor's finances secretly investigated by
the National Crime agency the observer three days later 9th of July revealed officials
raised flag over tax Affairs before he was appointed Chancellor the financial
times the next day 10th of July pressure bills to explain his finances is he saying
his officials hid this information from him or was he just too incurious to ask any questions
oh Mr Speaker as I've said before at the dispatch box the usual appointments process was followed
with respect to the minister without portfolio no issues were raised with me at the time of his
appointment but as the independent advisor to report makes clear there was a serious breach
of the ministerial code and that's why I took decisive action on receipt of that report so in
relation to his former chair his defenses nobody told me I didn't know I didn't ask any questions
is the prime minister now also going to claim that he's the only person completely unaware
of serious allegations of bullying against the Deputy Prime Minister before he appointed him
prime minister Mr Speaker Mr Speaker the The Honorable gentleman asks ask these questions
about what was known and I followed due process I pointed independent advisor as
soon as I was made aware of uh as soon as I was made aware of new information
the independent advisors conducted this process but if he is so concerned about what people are
concerned about behavior in public life then recently one of his own MPS was forced to speak
out because being in his party had reminded her of being in an abusive relationship
and then and then and then his own office was caught undermining her [Music]
stood to stand up for the women in his party he
can't be trusted to stand up for Britain [Applause]
but the last pout the Deputy Prime Minister was facing 24 separate allegations of bullying
according to recent reports some of the complainants were physically sick one says
they were left suicidal how would he feel if one of his friends or relatives was being forced to
work for a bully simply because the man at the top was too weak to do anything about it
Mr Speaker I I noticed he didn't say anything about why one of his own
describes being in his own party and Miss Nipper when I was made aware of formal
complaints I instructed a leading independent KC to conduct an investigation because I take
action when these things happen but what did he say at the weekend he said at the weekend that
hate had been allowed to spread unchallenged in the labor party under his predecessor he
was speaking as if he wasn't even there but he was sitting right next to him supporting him for four
long years not challenging and it is typical of him Mr Speaker declining to lead sitting
on the fence carping from the sidelines and and never standing up for a principle that matters
[Applause]