‘Outrageous behaviour’: Backlash as female MP shut down by ‘patronising’ colleague

A Tory MP has been accused of "outrageous behaviour" and of being "patronising" towards a female colleague during a select committee meeting.

Green MP Caroline Lucas is a member of the Environmental Audit Committee and was taking part in a meeting on Wednesday when Tory MP and substitute chair Matthew Offord cut into her question accusing her of going off topic.

The meeting was focused on ensuring the aviation and maritime industries achieve net-zero emissions within the government's timescale.

Lucas asked the Minister for Aviation and Maritime Robert Courts if simply telling people it was more environmentally friendly to travel by train rather than by air was enough to encourage people to make the right choice when a trip to Paris on the Eurotunnel could cost three times as much as a plane.

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Courts responded saying the price was regulated by supply and demand in the market, to which Lucas replied with pointing out aviation fuel was subsidised by the government.

Lucas accused Courts of changing the topic when he began responding but Offord stepped in and said "Caroline you have asked him the question, give him the opportunity to answer it."

He continued saying "If I ask you to keep to the questions rather than having a debate about airline subsidies, that is probably what we want to focus on today."

Lucas responded with: "I always thought that a member of Committees could actually use a little bit of their own initiative when it came to questions.

Offord said: "Initiative yes but not far wide-ranging questions."

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Lucas accused Offord of being patronising on Twitter after the meeting saying: "Watch this refusal by the Minister to answer me on why flights are cheap and trains so expensive - not helped by patronising substitute Tory Committee Chair shushing me when I dare to do my job holding Govt to account."

She also said after the meeting: "the Chair took me to task for “badgering” the Minister.

"Ah yes, of course - men "cross-question", women "'badger.'"

Several MPs came to Lucas's defence after she posted about it, including Jeremy Corbyn who said Well said Caroline, the contrast between expensive rail and flights is absurd and very damaging to the environment!"

SNP MP Peter Grant said Lucas was "shut down" for asking the question.

Labour MP Andy McDonald accused Offord of "outrageous behaviour."

"He is closing down an MP’s questioning of a Minister. Caroline is doing her job and quite rightly asking difficult questions."

"The Chair should facilitate searching questions not shut them down."

The chair of the committee Philip Dunne recused himself from chairing the meeting due to conflicts of interest, leading Offord to step in.

The government has pledged to make the UK economy net-zero by 2050.