ceremonial mace

Guardian News/YouTube

Watch a British politician steal a ceremonial mace to halt Brexit proceedings

'Thankfully they haven’t locked me in the Tower of London.'

 

David Gilmour

Tech

Posted on Dec 10, 2018   Updated on May 20, 2021, 11:43 pm CDT

A British lawmaker was thrown out of parliament Monday after seizing the ceremonial mace in apparent protest of Prime Minister Theresa May’s decision to delay a vote on the United Kingdom’s European Union withdrawal deal.

Politicians were set to vote on the so-called Brexit deal on Tuesday but, with news that May fears her proposal lacks support, lawmakers were informed that the debate and vote would be postponed by a parliamentary procedure that would not require their consent.

All this procedure requires is that the chief whip, a kind of government administrator, shout the word “tomorrow” very loudly.

When he did this, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, a member of the opposition Labour party, rushed forward to lift the ceremonial mace in symbolic protest of the postponement. The ornate staff is supposed to represent the royal authority of Parliament, and without it, members of the House of Commons are not allowed to debate or vote.

Surreal footage of a crowded House shows Russell-Moyle walking around with the enormous medieval weapon.

The politician was immediately rebuked for the action by other parliamentary members and ejected from the House by Speaker John Bercow, who presides over debates and maintains order.

Twitter users, however, quite enjoyed the spectacle, hailing Russell-Moyle as an “absolute madman” and a “proper legend.”

After all the drama, Russell-Moyle took to Twitter to explain that he was safe.

“Thankfully they haven’t locked me in the Tower of London but if they had I’d expect May to be in the cell next to me for her treatment of Parliament today,” he wrote. “I’m allowed back tomorrow after my symbolic protest against this government, wish May wasn’t allowed back.”

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*First Published: Dec 10, 2018, 6:07 pm CST