Dear Mr Speaker,

I am writing to you today with regards to the poor conduct of Lucy Frazer, MP for Cambridgeshire South East during a speech to the House on 4th June 2015.

If you wish to reference this particular speech then you may view it on youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwuJPn8--go

At 2 minutes and 11 seconds into her speech, she states "..and it was the home of Oliver Cromwell, who defeated the Scots at Dunbar. Who incorporated Scotland into his protectorate and transported the Scots, as slaves to the colonies."

She is then seen to laugh at her own statement, much to the merriment of the Conservative back-benchers who also believe it is funny to laugh along.

As you are no doubt aware, words such as Git, Idiot and Traitor have previously been deemed as unparliamentary in the House. So I would like to impress upon you why this rises far above the level of simple unparliamentary behaviour.

For the sake of clarity, as I am unsure of your grasp of history. The events of which you speak were during the time when the Scots Presbyterian Covenanters proclaimed Charles II king. Cromwell responded by leading part of the New Model Army north to fight the Scots.

The Scots Covenanters, under David Leslie, suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Dunbar. After the battle, around 5000 Scots captives were marched south for over 100 miles. Many died of starvation and disease on the way to Durham Castle and Cathedral where the survivors were imprisoned. 

Around 1600 more Scots prisoners died in Durham in the winter of 1650. Their bodies were dumped in mass graves. Of the 5000 Covenanters that were marched south – only 1200 survived. Most were sold as slaves in America and the Caribbean. Some were forced to fight for Cromwell in France.

I would like to impress upon you the severity of her statement and indeed the offensive nature of the statement she has made. To take delight in the slaughter, starvation, pain, anguish and sale of human beings into forced servitude is not just outrageous but egregious.

I have written to you today in petition form so that others may seek to add their names to support this letter.

We seek the speaker to immediately direct Lucy Frazer and the other MP's present who were laughing to make a full and public apology in the commons to the people of Scotland. 

I would appreciate a formal written response from the speaker on this matter.

Sincerely

 

Martin Keatings