Sir Lindsay Hoyle scolded Rishi Sunak for bringing up Labour’s Tom Watson during a fiery PMQs exchange about Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list.
The row between the prime minister and the Commons Speaker began after Sir Keir Starmer accused Mr Sunak of being “too weak” to block Mr Johnson’s list.
The Labour leader challenged the PM to explain why the Tory party had spent the past week “arguing over which of them gets a peerage” despite spiralling food bills and mortgage rates.
“Is he’s so tough, why didn’t he block it?” Sir Keir asked – before saying honours should be for “public service, not Tory cronies”.
The Labour leader added: “He was too weak to block Johnson’s list, and that also means that those who spent their time helping cover up Johnson’s lawbreaking are rewarded by becoming lawmakers for the rest of their life.”
Mr Sunak insisted that he had followed “due process and convention” – before lashing out at Labour for nominating Mr Watson, deputy leader under Jeremy Corbyn, for a peerage.
The Tory leader accused Mr Watson of “spreading vicious conspiracy theories that were totally and utterly untrue, damaging public discourse and inflicting misery on innocent people”.
The PM was referring to Mr Watson’s decision to highlight false allegations of historical sexual abuse levelled by fantasist Carl Beech, for which he has apologised.
Speaker Hoyle then intevened to tell off Mr Sunak. “Can I just say to the prime minister, you shouldn’t criticise other members,” he said.
Sir Lindsay added: “Also, you’re not responsible for the other parties. You are the prime minister that is answering the questions – not asking the questions.”
Mr Watson used his maiden speech in the Lords to apologise for his role in demanding action over the claims by Beech – later revealed to be a fantasist – about a paedophile ring in Westminster.
Sir Keir also used PMQs to challenge Mr Sunak on whether he would block the honours list of former prime minister Liz Truss or “buckle to her as well”.
The Labour leader told the Commons: “It’s not just Johnson – the prime minister’s immediate predecessor is hoping to reward those who made her reign such a rip-roaring success.
“On her honours list are the masterminds of that kamikaze budget – the economic extremists of the Institute of Economic Affairs, those whose disastrous ideas crashed the economy … Will the prime minister block that honours list or will he buckle to her as well?”
Mr Sunak replied: “If you want disastrous economic ideas all you have to do is [look at] Labour’s economic policy on energy. It’s an energy policy that seeks to ban all new British oil and gas drilling, jeopardising 200,000 jobs and our energy security at a time of international conflict.”
Meanwhile, a Conservative MP Philip Davies used PMQs to launch a verbal attack on Mr Johnson, criticising the “socialist landmine” of a ban on buy one get one free junk food offers, inherited by Mr Sunak from the Johnson government.
Referring to Mr Johnson, Mr Davies said: “You might remember him, he’s the one who said we should be more conservative — if only he was prime minister and had a majority of 80,” he said. Labour MPs were heard shouting "More! More!"
The Tory feud over Mr Johnson’s honours, which sparked his exit as MP, took a new twist on Wednesday when it emerged that Nadine Dorries is delaying her formal resignation.
Ms Dorries is reportedly keen to “scupper” No 10’s plans to hold three by-elections on the same day.
One friend told the Daily Mail: “It’s her prerogative when she decides to go. She’s not going to give Sunak the convenience of three by-elections on the same day.”
