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The Speaker of the House of Commons has reprimanded a Tory MP after he used the J*** word in parliament to refer to the Japanese. Sir Lindsay Hoyle said the term, which was described by a Labor MP as an “outdated and vulgar racial slur”, “should not be used”. The row erupted just days after a Tory minister was criticized for using the phrase “little man” in reference to China. The comment was made by Marc Francois, a former armed forces minister, during questions to Defense Secretary Ben Wallace. Labour’s Sarah Owen attacked the use of “racial slurs” and what she told MPs was an “unacceptable undercurrent”. A Labor source said: “If there was ever any doubt, the unsavory party is firmly back. “While Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party are distracted by scandal after scandal, their MPs are defaming our parliament by using derogatory words in the chamber. “Marc Francois might need reminding that it’s 2022, not 1940. He should apologize for that language.” Naomi Smith, chief executive of international campaign group Best for Britain said: “Marc Francois may want to pretend he is fighting World War II, but there is no excuse for that or for the Defense Secretary’s failure to call him on this”. On Monday, Francois asked Wallace about the Type 26 frigate, which he said was “literally a flagship design, which we have exported to both Canada and Australia and we all want to see it in service as soon as possible.” He added: “It is therefore doubly disappointing that, last week, the Department issued a written ministerial statement saying that her induction is now delayed by a further year from October 2027 to October 2028 and the cost of living program will be over a quarter of a billion pounds more than taxpayers’ money. Given that the defense budget is likely to be under a lot of pressure, why does it take BAE Systems 11 years to build a ship that J*** can build in four?’ On Tuesday, Ms Owen, who is Asian, told the House of Commons: “Mr Speaker, you rightly and regularly remind us to use respectful language in this House. “But unfortunately this outdated and vulgar racial slur has fallen far below the bar we should expect.” Sir Lindsay said he recognized that “occasional use of racial terms is disturbing and should not be used”. He added: “What I would say is that Erskine May states that good temper and moderation are the hallmarks of parliamentary language and asks all members to remind themselves of that principle in choosing the words they use carefully. “People also reflect the language we use – if we define the best language, so others may follow.”
