IAN Blackford has lambasted “morally vacuous” Boris Johnson after he refused to moderate his language in the Commons .
The Prime Minister has also refused to apologise after he sparked fury when he told MPs they should honour the memory of murdered parliamentarian Jo Cox by delivering Brexit.
The Tory leader ignored questions from journalists as he left a meeting of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers today, and Downing Street declined to say sorry for his words in the Commons last night.
There was uproar in Parliament when the Prime Minister repeatedly berated MPs, rejected calls to temper his language and said the best way to honour Cox – an ardent Remainer – was to "get Brexit done".
Reacting on Twitter, the SNP’s Westminster leader wrote: “The scenes in the HoC last night were a disgrace, enthusiastically led by a morally vacuous PM. I have repeatedly asked @BorisJohnson to moderate his language, he refuses, the man is not fit for office."
Johnson had dismissed as "humbug" Labour MP Paula Sherriff's claim in the Commons that like Cox, who was killed by a far-right extremist just days before the 2016 referendum, many MPs faced death threats from people using the same sort of language as the Prime Minister.
Sherriff told the BBC: "I believe the Prime Minister is inciting hatred towards MPs."
Cox's widower Brendan said he felt "a bit sick" at the way her name was being used.
READ MORE: PM calls Scottish Government 'incompetent, dissolute and reckless'
Commons Speaker John Bercow pleaded with parliamentarians on all sides to tackle the "toxic" political culture, and said the House "did itself no credit" in the angry exchanges which followed the Prime Minister's statement.
As MPs returned to the Commons this morning, Bercow said: "There was an atmosphere in the chamber worse than any I've known in my 22 years in the House. On both sides passions were inflamed, angry words uttered, the culture was toxic."
Johnson was asked whether he would apologise for his language as he left the meeting of the 1922 Committee, but refused to answer.
However, a senior Conservative MP told the PA news agency that the PM had "clarified" his words during his address to Tory MPs.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman also declined to apologise, telling a Westminster briefing: "The PM obviously made the broader point last night that he believes we need to get the issue of Brexit resolved because it was causing anxiety and ill-feeling in the country."
Asked if Johnson's comments risked fuelling a bad reaction, the spokesman said: "The PM is very clear that whatever their views no MPs or anyone else in public life should face threats or intimidation. It's completely unacceptable."
A Downing Street insider suggested the Prime Minister would continue to refer to the Benn Act – which seeks to prevent a no-deal Brexit – as the 'Surrender Bill'.
"If the question is 'is he going to stop calling it a Surrender Bill' then the answer to that is a categoric 'no'," the source said.
The European Commission also reminded politicians to be respectful in their exchanges, and warned of the consequences when such "values" are forgotten.
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