'Boorish' UK MPs clash ahead of women's vote centenary

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January 31, 2018 3:53 PM

The speaker of Britains House of Commons rebuked "boorish" MPs for shouting down female lawmakers Wednesday after one raised the anniversary of womens suffrage, in clashes that also drew a sharp response from the prime minister.

Emily Thornberry, the deputy leader of the opposition Labour party, highlighted the upcoming centenary of women's right to vote in Britain to press the case for another seemingly radical reform, to lower the voting age from 18 to 16.

She accused the government of leading a "coalition of cavemen" for refusing to back the change -- prompting her opposite number in the government, David Lidington, to tell her to "grow up".

Prime Minister Theresa May is on a trip to China but her spokesman made clear that she did not approve of Lidington's remarks, made as he deputised for her during the weekly prime minister's question time.

"She wouldn't use that language," the spokesman said.

Earlier, Commons speaker John Bercow intervened after MPs shouted over Thornberry as she tried to ask a question.

"It is rather a sad irony, that when a woman is addressing the House, quite a lot of noisy, boorish and in one case a rather stupid individual trying to shout the right honourable lady down," he said.

"Cut it out."

Thornberry asked Lidington how female representation could be increased, noting that she was "the only Emily elected since 1918, and he is one of 155 Davids".

He replied that the Conservatives have had two female leaders -- prime ministers Margaret Thatcher and May -- while Labour has had none.

Thornberry hit back by noting the internal criticism about May's leadership, saying: "If the party opposite is so proud of having a female leader, why are so many of them trying to get rid of her?"

On February 6, 1918 the British parliament passed a law granting women over the age of 30 who owned property the vote, the first time they had held such a right.

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