Amid the contentious chaos of the Brexit debate in Parliament, leading Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg provided fodder for Remainers by sprawling out on a bench and thus showing “contempt for democracy,” his critics claimed – and memed.
As the debate in the House of Commons raged on Tuesday evening, the MP for North East Somerset reclined on the front bench and closed his eyes, as if bored with the entire thing. He was called out by Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, who said his body language was “contemptuous” of Parliament and of the British people.
“The leader of the house has been spread across around three seats, lying out as if that was something very boring for him to listen to tonight,” Lucas said, to calls of “Sit up!” from other MPs.
Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell called it “not a great look” for Rees-Mogg.
The photo was soon turned into a meme, uniting angry Remainers who compared it to a Depression-era painting, or photoshopped him onto the Simpsons’ iconic couch.
Labour MP Anna Turley called him the “physical embodiment of arrogance, entitlement, disrespect and contempt for our parliament.”
Actor Hugh Laurie described it “as insolent and insufferable as anything I’ve seen.”
Author Maureen Johnson went full Harry Potter, describing Rees-Mogg as “kind of like a real life Malfoy, but one who wears a monocle and whose family motto is probably SUCK IT POORS but in Latin.”
Rees-Mogg has been one of the leading advocates of Brexit even without a negotiated deal with the EU – something that 328 MPs disagreed with on Tuesday, voting for debate on a motion that would rule out a no-deal departure from the EU. PM Boris Johnson has responded by threatening a general election if the motion passes on Wednesday, and expelled 21 Tories who voted for the debate from the party.
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!