Rishi Sunak was slapped down by the Commons Speaker on Wednesday after he brandished a “prop” attacking Keir Starmer during PMQs.
Lindsay Hoyle told the PM: “When I stand up, please sit down.”
The clash came during feisty exchanges between Sunak and Starmer over the issue of human rights.
The prime minister attacked the Labour leader for listening to “lefty lawyers” when he was still a practicing barrister.
“I’ve even got here the textbook he authored for them,” Sunak said, waving around the front cover of a publication called ‘European Human Rights Law’.
Lindsay Hoyle interrupted the PM to tell him off. “When I stand up please sit down,” the Speaker told him.
“We don’t use props in this House. If you do need reminding I certainly will.”
In 1999 Starmer wrote a book called ‘European Human Rights Law: The Human Rights Act 1998 and the European Convention on Human Rights’.
Before becoming an MP in 2015, Starmer was a human rights lawyer and went on to serve as director of public prosecutions.
The Labour leader hit back at Sunak for trying to distract from a Tory rebellion over his Rwanda deportation plan with “utterly pathetic nonsense”.
The prime minister faces a crunch vote on Wednesday evening, when MPs will be asked to back legislation designed to finally see the Rwanda policy enacted.
But he could suffer a signifiant revolt from his own right-wing backbenchers who believe even this new law does not go far enough.