Partit Demokratiku MP Godfrey Farrugia said that he wore T-shirts to Parliament many times when he was whip of the Labour Party, but at the time nobody told him anything. The photo above shows him, as PL whip, sitting right behind the Prime Minister in one such instance.
The implication here is that Speaker Anglu Farrugia took action now only because Godfrey Farrugia resigned from the Labour Party and was later elected as an MP for the Partit Demokratiku. On Thursday, Anglu Farrugia ruled that male MPs must wear jackets in the House.
It is a question of two weights and two measures, Godfrey Farrugia said. “They singled me out to impose a dress code now that I am a PD MP, but they did nothing when I wore T-shirts in Parliament many times while occupying the post of Labour Party whip,” he added.
A dress code in use in Parliament since the 1960s indicated that members should not wear hats when addressing the house. But over many years there were many occasions when MPs were not wearing jackets and ties when addressing Parliament.
Godfrey Farrugia provided this photo, taken from Facebook, of former Labour leader Dom Mintoff wearing a T-shirt when addressing the House as Prime Minister. But the Speaker at the time did not take any action.
Since then, many other MPs turned up in the House without a jacket and tie and yet no Speaker ever reprimanded them. The current Speaker, Anglu Farrugia, also faced occasions when MPs were not wearing a jacket and tie, and yet he never intervened.
“I have been singled out because I am a member of a small party,” Godfrey Farrugia said. “An MP is there to represent people; the people don’t vote for the suit we wear, but for the voice we channel”.