Diane Abbott unleashes four-letter volley after 'kiss' by Brexit Secretary David Davis

'Volley': Labour's Diane Abbott
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Diane Abbott launched a four-letter volley at Brexit Secretary David Davis in an extraordinary confrontation when he tried to kiss her in a bar at the Commons, it was claimed today.

Labour’s shadow home secretary told him to “f*** off” when he leaned in for a jovial embrace in the Strangers’ Bar hours after the crunch Brexit vote, according to witnesses.

Mr Davis, who was accused by one MP of being “drunk on Brexit smugness”, strode up to Ms Abbott to thank her after she reluctantly voted with the Government for the triggering of moves to leave the European Union.

Ms Abbott, who has endured days of ridicule for missing a vote and claiming she had a migraine, recoiled and told him where to go.

There was no denial from either side about the incident which was being gossiped about in the Commons Tea Room this morning.

'Drunk on smugness': Brexit Minister David Davis

Ms Abbott was in the bar with shadow attorney general Baroness Chakrabarti when Mr Davis entered the bar in triumph.

He reportedly marched over to the women and tried to plant a kiss on Ms Abbott. After she rebuffed him, he is said to have walked off laughing.

Jess Phillips, chair of the women’s Parliamentary Labour Party, called the incident unsurprising, saying Mr Davis was probably “drunk on Brexit smugness” and would have been feeling powerful and important.

She added: “He wouldn’t do it to David Cameron or George Osborne, so he shouldn’t do it to Diane. It’s unacceptable.

"Women in Parliament have to put up with all sorts of paternalistic rubbish. If he wouldn’t do it to a bloke, he shouldn’t have done it to Diane.”

Allies of Mr Davis agreed he briefly greeted a group Ms Abbott was with as he passed — which included Baroness Chakrabarti, whom he knew well after campaigning with her on civil liberties.

An ally suggested he perhaps sought to embrace Ms Abbott but added: “I don’t think it’s right he tried to ‘plant a kiss’ and it was perfectly jovial.”

There was no comment or denial from Ms Abbott this morning, despite attempts to contact her.

She was in no mood for banter in recent days after criticism by colleagues for claiming to have been too ill to take part in a key vote that two MPs suffering from cancer managed to attend.

After obeying last night’s three-line whip, the Hackney North & Stoke Newington MP broke her silence with a statement describing herself as a “loyal supporter” of Jeremy Corbyn.

But her colleague Clive Lewis quit as shadow business secretary rather than vote for Brexit, and was expected to position himself as a Left-wing candidate for the Labour leadership.

Mr Corbyn this morning dismissed the departure of Mr Lewis as “not a disaster”. He scorned as “fake news” and “absolute nonsense” suggestions that he was considering his own future as Labour leader.

In another development, a government source said the unelected House of Lords could be “abolished” if it tried to block or amend the Brexit Bill that was passed by MPs by 494 votes to 122 in the elected Commons last night.

Today No 10 distanced itself from the threat. However, one minister told the Standard that many Tory MPs were in favour of reforming the Lords, including a plan for “sunset peerages” that would expire after 10 years.

“What has stopped reform in the past was the idea of elections to the Upper House, which would make it a rival for the Commons,” said the minister.

“But appointing peers for a 10-year period would keep the Lords constantly refreshed as a repository of knowledge and experience without clogging it up.”

The idea is a direct threat to hundreds of existing peers who have jobs for life in the Upper House under current rules, with generous expenses and access to Lords facilities.

But the Lib Dems — who have 102 peers — say they are now gearing up for a battle over the Brexit Bill despite the threat.

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