The House of Commons chamber descended into a shouting match after the ex-Tory health minister was slapped down by the deputy speaker for ‘behaving abominably’.
The dressing down of Victoria Atkins came after she stood up at the dispatch box to loudly interrupt Labour’s Environment Secretary Steve Reed while he was speaking.
It was a clear break of parliamentary procedure, which does not allow two members to stand at the dispatch box at the same time, forcing deputy speaker Christopher Chope to call for order.
After Ms Atkins, 48, backs down and retakes her seat on the Conservative bench, Mr Chope proclaims to the chamber: ‘The right honourable lady has behaved abominably’.
A video of the exchange has been widely shared on social media, with many users expressing disdain at the conduct of the elected politicians.
In the video Ms Atkins can be heard asking Mr Reed ‘will he give way?’, but the minister had previously said he would not be giving way as he only had three minutes of time remaining.
Lib Dem MP Helen Morgan, who was in the room during the row, spoke of the incident in a post on X/Twitter.
‘I witnessed this first-hand. The Conservatives proved the electorate got it right: they are not fit for government’, she said.
Josh Fenton-Glynn, Labour MP for Calder Valley, also posted: ‘I think the fact you don’t get to speak as much in opposition is hard for them [Conservatives] to get used to.’
Labour MP Perran Moon said Ms Atkins’ behaviour was ‘an absolute disgrace’ and called for appropriate action to be taken.
The incident happened on Friday while Mr Reed spoke during the planning, green belt and rural affairs debate in the Commons.
Well-known Leftie and Twitter-warrior Carol Vorderman even waded into the row, writing: ‘Tory Victoria Atkins seems unable to behave as a member of the Opposition
‘So much for Sunak’s words this week “we will fulfil our duties, as the loyal Opposition, professionally and effectively” Righto (eye-roll emoji).
‘Straight back to his “accountability, integrity blah blah” hot air.’
A spokesperson for Ms Atkins’ office said: ‘Conservative MPs were trying to get answers about their budgets for farming, flood defences and food security, which the minister ignored.
‘She will always stand up fearlessly for farmers and our rural area in Westminster, even if that means a rare admonishment from the Chair.’
Ms Atkins is the daughter of Sir Robert Atkins, a former Conservative MP and MEP, and Lady (Dulcie) Atkins, a Conservative councillor and mayor.
She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the age of three.
Ms Atkins was privately educated at Arnold School, a co-educational school in Blackpool in Lancashire, and studied law at the University of Cambridge where she was an undergraduate student at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.
She was first elected as a Conservative in the safe seat of Louth and Horncastle in 2015 after working as a barrister in the field of fraud in London.
During her election campaign, she had the backing of former prime minister. Sir John Major, whom she has known since birth.
Nearly 70 per cent of her constituency voted in favour of Brexit, despite Ms Atkins being opposed to Brexit in the 2016 EU referendum.
Ms Atkins served as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care from November 2023 to July 2024.
Before that she had held several junior minister positions including minister of justice and minister for Afghan resettlement, between September 2021 and July 2022.
She had resigned as justice minister under then prime minister Boris Johnson citing that ‘integrity, decency, respect and professionalism’ had been ‘fractured’ under his leadership.
In 2018, as drugs minister at the Home Office, she was accused of ‘hypocrisy on a grand scale’ after it was revealed she had spoken out against legalising and regulating the drug while her husband was managing director of British Sugar, which is licensed to grow non‐psychoactive cannabis.
Shortly after the row, Mr Reed Labour MP for Streatham and Croydon North, closed the debate and said: ‘I thank all members who have taken part in this constructive and insightful debate for their perceptive contributions and their dedication to making progress on important matters.
‘After 14 years of chaos, there is once again hope for our environment, hope for our countryside, and hope for our rural communities.’