Labour’s shadow treasury minister was hit with outrage this afternoon after being filmed appearing to ‘mock suicide’ in the House of Commons.

Clive Lewis was caught on camera pretending to shoot himself in the head as a Conservative MP interrupted his colleague Anneliese Dodds during her speech.

He was later filmed laughing at his ‘joke’, which saw him place his fingers in his mouth.

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Clive Lewis was caught on camera pretending to shoot himself in the head as a Conservative MP interrupted his colleague Anneliese Dodds during her speech (Picture: Parliament TV)

However, shortly after the clip went live, hundreds of people took to social media to share their ‘disgust’ at Lewis ‘mocking suicide’.


One person said: ‘6,213 people died of suicide in the UK last year. It’s no laughing matter & this behaviour is ill-befitting of any MP, never mind a frontbencher.



‘Clive Lewis should be ashamed of himself.’

Another added: ‘Pathetic from Clive Lewis and especially worse from a front bencher. This is what we mean by the stigma attached to mental ill health. Suicide is not a joke.’

He was later filmed laughing at his ‘joke’, which saw him place his fingers in his mouth (Picture: Parliament TV)

Shortly after the clip went live, hundreds of people took to social media to share their ‘disgust’ at Lewis ‘mocking suicide’ (Picture: Matt Crossick)

However, journalist Julia Hartley-Brewer defended Lewis, saying he was not ‘mocking suicide’.

She said: ‘Right, Clive Lewis is NOT ‘mocking suicide’, he is making a figurative joke about wanting to kill himself rather than listen to any more nonsense.

‘This is not mocking anyone, it’s a joke. Everyone, calm down. Can we please stop pretending to be offended by *everything*?’.

Metro.co.uk has contacted Mr Lewis for comment.