Commons resumes after Blair powder attack

The House of Commons has resumed today following a powder-bomb attack on British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Mr Blair was hit by purple powder thrown into the chamber of the House of Commons today.

Speaker Michael Martin immediately suspended the sitting after the protest, which happened halfway through Prime Minister’s Questions.

A pressure group called Fathers 4 Justice said two of its members staged the stunt.

One man hurled the purple powder – believed to be coloured flour – into the chamber from the public gallery, while another held up a poster.

They shouted inaudible protests before they were dragged away by Commons security staff and taken to cells at Westminster.

Three police officers there donned nuclear biological and chemical warfare protection suits as the men were being questioned.

Mr Blair was unhurt, but the back of his suit was splattered with the powder. The Commons chamber was then searched while the powder was analysed.

The incident will be a huge embarrassment for Parliament’s security staff.

A massive security screen was recently installed in the public gallery to prevent just such an incident.

But the front three rows of the gallery – usually occupied by peers and distinguished guests – are outside the screen. That is where the two men staged their protest.

The man was signed in by a member of the House of Lords.

The powder was thrown from the corner of the gallery, with the protester rushing forward to the railings to hurl it into the chamber.

Mr Blair’s official spokesman said the powder was being checked to make sure it was innocuous.

The chamber of the house was also being searched.

The spokesman said: “The Prime Minister is perfectly happy to go back in and resume PMQs but the advice from the House is they want to check the chamber and he fully respects the Speaker’s position on that.”

Asked if the powder had been analysed, the spokesman said: “All that is being checked.”

There was no indication of when the Commons sitting would be resumed.

Fathers 4 Justice claimed responsibility for the protest.

A spokesman said two men had made their protest in the run-up to Father’s Day on June 20, demanding equal rights for fathers.

Purple powder was used because purple is the international colour for equality, the spokesman said.