British Prime Minister David Cameron gets a silly new nickname thanks to the Panama Papers

By Rafi Schwartz  |  April 11, 2016 | 7:29pm
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The fallout continues after the massive Panama Papers leak shed light on the nebulous—and sometimes nefarious—world of off-shore money stashes and shell companies used by the ultra-wealthy and powerful. Among those named in the more than 11.5 million documents leaked from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, are actors, criminals, and politicians.

Which brings us to British Prime Minister David Cameron. Or, more specifically, his father Ian, who died in 2010, and whose offshore investment fund, Blairmore Holdings Inc., has been named in the Panama Papers leak.

Questions surrounding the Prime Minister and any potential tax-dodges stemming from Blairmore Holdings Inc., have swirled ever since the leaks were made public, and on Monday spilled onto the floor of the U.K.’s House of Commons, where Prime Minister Cameron addressed the Panama Papers, and defended his father’s investment fund.

But at least one member of Parliament wasn’t having any of it: Dennis Skinner, the representative from Bolsover for the Labour party, who stood up to chide the Prime Minister, labeling him “Dodgy Dave” in the process.

It’s at that point things went, well, a little bonkers.

The room immediately erupts, with members of Parliament booing, shouting, and generally raising a ruckus while Speaker John Bercow tries in vain to regain order, at one point admonishing someone offscreen that “[he doesn’t] require an assistance from some junior minister.”

Rowdiness is nothing new to Parliament, but even the Speaker seemed particularly perturbed by the “Dodgy Dave” jibe—especially when, after having regained control of the room, Skinner refused to withdraw the offending remark, instead repeating it to the renewed laughs and jeers of his fellow lawmakers.

Skinner was subsequently ejected for the remainder of the day. According to the BBC, this is the fifth time he’s been removed from the chamber.

And we think politics in the U.S. is rough?

 
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