Galloway tries to block Commons Thatcher funeral arrangements

By Ian Dunt

George Galloway will try and frustrate David Cameron's plans for PMQs to be cancelled in a sign of respect for Margaret Thatcher next Wednesday.

The Respect MP said he plans to try and block a government motion dropping the session and delaying the start of business until 14:30 BST, once the funeral is over.

"It really is imperative that the prime minister is questioned, among other things, about his decision to impose a quite unnecessary and expensive early return of parliament which was simply a hideous outpouring of right-wing eulogies and rants doused in crocodile tears," he wrote on his website.

"I'm glad to see that, like me, more than 100 Labour MPs stayed away from the circus."

Ministers expected the motion to go through 'on the nod' at the end of Commons business but Galloway intends to shut 'object' and trigger a debate and vote.

Labour are supporting the move so it will easily survive any vote put to it but Galloway's resistance is a sign of disgruntlement among MPs at the approach to Thatcher's death adopted by the Conservative leadership.

Sally Bercow, a Labour supporter and wife of the Speaker, put out a statement yesterday saying she would not be attending the event.

"As Commons Speaker, John will be attending the funeral – and rightly so. But I'm not obliged to participate in my husband’s public life – last time I looked, this was the 21st century! John holds public office and an important position, not me," she said.

"Although I’m genuinely sorry that Baroness Thatcher has passed away, I’m not going to be a hypocrite and join in this attempted canonisation of her."

She also suggested someone in the No 10 team had leaked her non-attendance to the press in a bid to make trouble for her husband.

"I'm astonished that Cameron's people haven't got better things to do," she said.

"It’s a predictably pathetic attempt to cause trouble for the Speaker – which has utterly failed – and a complete non-story. Margaret Thatcher wouldn’t have given a monkey's whether or not I attended her funeral."

Many MPs are still smarting from the price tag of recalling parliament last Wednesday for a debate on the former prime minister, even though it was tabled to return today.