LABOUR leader Sir Keir Starmer has backed Dawn Butler for calling Boris Johnson a liar, but said the Deputy Speaker “did the right thing” in booting her out of the Commons.

The Brent Central MP was ejected from the chamber by stand-in speaker Judith Cummins on Friday after she twice refused to withdraw a remark that the Prime Minister had lied repeatedly to fellow MPs and the country.

Ms Butler said that poor people have paid with their lives because the PM has been dishonest about his failure to handle the Covid-19 crisis. Parliamentary rules bar MPs from accusing each other of dishonesty.

Sir Keir told LBC: “I agree with what Dawn had to say. The [PM] is the master of untruth and half-truths, and Dawn was simply giving some examples of that.”

But he also praised Ms Cummins for following chamber proceedings. 

“I don’t criticise the deputy speaker for what she did,” Sir Keir said, adding: “But do I support Dawn in what she said? I absolutely do.”