Judy’s toilet tweet sparks Lords row

Published on Monday 6 February 2012 00:00

A ROW has broken out between Lords and the Queen’s representative in parliament after Andy Murray’s mum Judy tweeted a picture from inside parliament, a peer has claimed.

Judy Murray’s picture, of the sign of the toilet door in the Lords which reads “Women Peers”, attracted anger from the Lieutenant-General David Leakey.

Murray tweeted the picture describing it as “too fun” to her 20,000 followers.

But Leakey – also known as “Black Rod” – said he thought the message “belittled” parliament, according to reports. He is said to have summoned Labour’s Baroness Billingham, who had invited Murray to parliament to promote a tennis charity, to ask that the message was taken down.

But Baroness Billingham hit back at Leakey yesterday, saying the message was just a piece of fun. She said: “She is a sparky woman and thought it was funny, so she took a photo and put it on the internet.”

The peer added: “Not long afterwards, I was told to go to see Black Rod. He said he felt the photo belittled the dignity of parliament and told me to take it down.

“I refused. I am very undeferential and laughed. I told him: ‘I’m sorry if it offends you.’ It would have been terribly rude to ask her to take it down.”

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Digory

Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 07:39 AM

4. There was not a request to take a Toilet Sign down. The duties of Black Rod include Security and Access to the areas around and within Parliament - hence the traditions which are followed at the Opening of Parliament. The picture which was apparently published on the Internet was as I understand it a picture of a door. Personally I find the justification offered and supported of a "sparky woman" more questionable.

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Alex.

Friday, February 10, 2012 at 12:02 PM

Someone called Leakey demands a toilet sign saying women peers is removed. You couldn't make it up!

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allymax

Monday, February 6, 2012 at 03:38 AM

" Black Rod... felt the photo belittled the dignity of parliament "............ ------------------------- There really is a lot of fun to be had at the 'expense' of those public tax-paying funded 'troughers'; especially when they say a sign on the womens loos says 'Women Peers'. What about the illegal wars, horrendous corruption of the Queens' Court, massive fraud, sexual debauchery, treason, infidelity, when all these pathetic losers are, are nothing more than freeloaders off the public purse, and the list goes on, and on, and on.

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Peripatetic Pensioner

Monday, February 6, 2012 at 12:39 AM

Would asking her to take it down have been the result of peer pressure?

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Peripatetic Pensioner

Monday, February 6, 2012 at 12:37 AM

I don't know who Judy Murray or Baroness Billingham are nor do I care but I do find the sign and it's location amusing and far more relevant to real life than most of the stuff that emanates from that Gothic pile.

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