Sylvan Richards, the Minister of Social Development and Sports, was told to leave the House of Assembly last night after he refused to apologise for comments he made during a heated motion to adjourn.

Progressive Labour MP Lawrence Scott was describing how he was pepper-sprayed on December 2 last year as he tried to protect a senior, when he accused Mr Richards of saying, “You deserved it.”

Speaker of the House Randy Horton then told Mr Richards to apologise for his comments, however no apology was forthcoming.

“I would like you to stand up and apologise,” Mr Horton told Mr Richards. “If you are not going to apologise leave this House. If I were you I would leave quickly. You won’t be back in this House until you apologise.” Mr Richards then packed his belongings and left the Parliament building.

Meanwhile, later in the evening, Patricia Gordon-Pamplin was taken to task for using unparliamentary language during the motion to adjourn. The Minister for Home Affairs described the reception she received from a member of the public when she arrived at the House of Assembly on December 2.

Ms Gordon-Pamplin said: “I said good morning to people on the corner, then this man said to me here comes that f***ing b**ch,” before she was drowned out by Opposition MPs condemning her language. Mr Horton told Ms Pamplin to withdraw the comments, which she duly did.

She added: “Was I going to be among those people who had that much venom to me?”