PM’s adviser says it’s not surprising people are angry at MPs: ‘What do you expect?’

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

Dominic Cummings has said it is “not surprising” that some voters are angry after Boris Johnson was criticised for stoking fury over Brexit.

The prime minister’s senior adviser added that the only way the issue of threats and abuse will be solved is if MPs “respect” the result of the EU referendum.

His comments, at a book launch on Thursday, came as the PM refused to bow to mounting pressure to apologise over his use of language. Amid furious scenes in the House of Commons, Johnson repeatedly described attempts to block no-deal as the “surrender act” and dismissed a Labour MP’s complaint that his “inflammatory” language risked provoking attacks as “humbug”.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn warned that the PM’s language was encouraging people to behave in a “disgraceful and abusive way”.

When Cummings was asked if he blamed MPs for the abuse, he replied: “The MPs said we will have a referendum, we will respect the result and then they spent three years swerving all over the shop.

“It is not surprising some people are angry about it. I find it very odd that these characters are complaining that people are unhappy about their behaviour now and they also say they want a referendum.”

He added: “If you are a bunch of politicians and say that we swear we are going to respect the result of a democratic vote, and then after you lose you say, we don’t want to respect that vote, what do you expect to happen?”

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Cummings was also asked if MPs have themselves to blame for the abuse.

“That’s the way you’re putting it. I am using my language,” he replied, while at a London event marking the launch of a new book by Vote Leave supporter and businessman Stuart Wheeler.

He said that both leave and remain campaigners have had “serious threats” of violence, which he said should be taken seriously.

“In the end the situation can only be resolved by parliament honouring its promise to respect the result,” he added.

Also at the book launch, Cummings painted a picture of calm at Downing Street, despite the PM’s multiple Commons defeats and the supreme court ruling that his prorogation was unlawful.

The Vote Leave campaign director said: “We are not under pressure, the referendum was pressure. The referendum was difficult.

“This is a walk in the park compared to the referendum, we are enjoying this, we are going to leave and we are going to win.”