Conservative Party whip Andrew Griffiths needs to come clean.

It has been alleged that this man, the MP for Burton, made an “ageist and inappropriate remark” while Jeremy Corbyn was responding to Philip Hammond’s Budget speech.

As Mr Corbyn spoke in defence of elderly people suffering cuts in care budgets, it has been suggested that Mr Griffiths – hiding out of sight of the Speaker’s chair – said the Labour leader should “be in a care home” himself.

Mr Corbyn heard – and you can watch his reaction here:

As Labour MPs got to their feet and pointed towards the exit, shouting “shame on you”,and “get out”, a visibly infuriated Mr Corbyn snapped: “I hope the honourable member begins to understand what it’s like to wait for social care stuck in a hospital bed while other people are having to give up their work to care for them.

“The uncaring, uncouth attitude of certain members opposite needs to be called out.”

Members of Parliament and the public have expressed their fury at the heckle:

https://twitter.com/ToryFibs/status/933381678759849984

Some have called for the Speaker and his team to take action:

And Mr Griffiths was suggested as the culprit:

So Andrew Griffiths needs to clarify matters – right now.

If he did say the offending words, he must apologise to Mr Corbyn, to elderly care home residents – and their carers, to Parliament, to his colleagues in the Tory Whip’s office – who will have been disgraced if one of their colleagues misbehaved in such a manner, to the general public… and to his constituents in Burton, who would be humiliated if their representative was responsible for such childish behaviour.

It is disrespectful – not just to the Leader of the Opposition, but to the occasion, to Parliament, and to the people of the United Kingdom.

If Mr Griffiths did say those words, then the electorate of Burton would be well-advised to reconsider their decision to put him in Parliament with a majority of more than 10,000. His local Conservative Association would be wise to think about fielding another candidate at the next general election (which may not be too far in the future, remember).

But if he didn’t, then he needs to find out who was responsible and force that person to own up.

In that circumstance, the real culprit would be doubly cowardly, having not only made the comment, but having let Mr Griffiths take the blame for it. One could argue that as a Whip, responsible for maintaining discipline in his party, it is Mr Griffiths’ responsibility.

So its up to Andrew Griffiths. What is he going to do?

READ MORE: The mark of the leader: Tories make personal insults but Corbyn only gets angry at injustice to others

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