The Commons Speaker has slapped down Boris Johnson for his Commons claim that Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile, amid a growing backlash.
Lindsay Hoyle said he could not intervene after the prime minister made the allegation on Monday – because it did not fall foul of parliamentary rules.
But he told MPs: “I am far from satisfied that the comments in question were appropriate on this occasion.
“I want to see more compassionate, reasonable politics in this House and that sort of comment can only inflame opinions and generate disregard for this House.”
The controversy has blown up after a beleaguered Mr Johnson – fighting for survival after Sue Gray’s Partygate report – tried to turn attention onto the Labour leader instead.
Sir Keir was “a former director of public prosecutions – although he spent most of his time prosecuting journalists and failing to prosecute Savile, as far as I can make out”, the prime minister alleged.
The claim is false because, although Sir Keir was the head of the Crown Prosecution Service at the time of Savile’s crimes, but he was not the reviewing lawyer for the case.
Earlier, the deputy prime minister Dominic Raab admitted he had no facts to “justify” the allegation – but defended it as part of “the cut and thrust of parliamentary debates”.
Mr Johnson’s spokesman refused to repeat his claim, arguing it would breach “the principle of civil service impartiality”, but insisted he “stands by” it.
Julian Smith, the former Tory Northern Ireland Secretary, urged the prime minister to retract it, tweeting: “The smear made against Keir Starmer relating to Jimmy Saville yesterday is wrong & cannot be defended. It should be withdrawn.
“False and baseless personal slurs are dangerous, corrode trust & can’t just be accepted as part of the cut & thrust of parliamentary debate.”
After the episode was raised in the Commons, Sir Lindsay told MPs: “I want a nicer parliament. And the only way we can get a nicer parliament is by being more honourable in the debates that we have. Please, let us show each other respect as well as tolerance.”
But he warned MPs that, if they wanted him to get tough with MPs spreading smears, they needed to change the rules to give him stronger powers.
At present, MPs are barred from accusing each other of deliberately lying – but there is nothing to prevent an MP saying untrue things about another.
“Unfortunately, the public out there think I’ve got this magic power,” the Speaker said, after a point of order was raised.
“You give me the power. If you’re not happy with the power I’ve got, it’s in your hands to change it,” Sir Lindsay said.
Although ministers who mislead the Commons are expected to correct the record, the Speaker has no power to compel them to do so – and Mr Johnson has refused to do in the past.
