Greg Hurst (left), The Times Political Correspondent, watched the extraordinary scenes as pro-hunt protestors burst into the House of Commons during a debate
“The Tory spokesman James Gray was on his feet making a speech opposing the foxhunting ban when the first four protestors ran into the Commons chamber from behind the Speaker’s chair.
“From up in the press gallery I could see a fifth emerge, and they dashed right to the centre of the floor of the House. They were all young men, dressed similarly in black jeans and wearing T-shirts with slogans.
“One of them went to within feet of Alun Michael, the Rural Affairs Minister in charge of the Bill, and began remonstrating with him. They were shouting slogans and profanities: ‘You f***** up pensions, now you’re going to do the same thing with hunting’, and talking about democracy.
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“Then Sir Patrick Cormack, a Tory MP, got up and started remonstrating with them, shouting: ‘Get out, get out and never come back.’ Several of the Labour MPs were shouting from their seats.
“The duty serjeant, who sits in a chair to one side, got up and ran towards the protesters. Doorkeepers ran in and tried to wrestle with them. More doorkeepers came through from the members’ lobby and overpowered them and pulled them towards the door.
“Sylvia Heal, the Deputy Speaker who was chairing the debate, suspended the sitting while all this was going on.
“The security breach was far, far more severe than the flour bomb attack on Tony Blair in May. Then, the two men only got to a balcony overlooking the Chamber. This time, five people got onto the floor of the Chamber, albeit when Mr Blair and the Cabinet were not there.
“From the television pictures it appears that they must have got in through the division lobbies. There is building work going on in the Palace of Westminster so some of the corridors are closed off and some of the normal routes through the Palace aren’t open. Exactly how they got into the building we just don’t know.
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“The MPs I have spoken to are very upset and very angry, first at the protesters and second at the breach in security.
“I can’t ever remember a protester making it onto the floor of the Chamber before. The fear will be that if they can get in, so can a suicide bomber.The Sergeant at Arms will probably be preparing an urgent report for the Speaker about this breach.
“We are awaiting a report from the police and the Security Service on parliamentary security, probably at the end of this month. It has already been speeded up once in the light of the flour bomb attack. So there is already a revamp of security in the wings and this will certainly add to the urgency of that.”