Michael Fabricant doubled down on his tweet about the rape arrest MP and there are no words

Michael Fabricant – we know, we know – plunged new depths today with a tweet ahead of today’s Prime Ministers Questions about the arrest of a Tory MP on allegations of rape and sexual assault.

Fabricant said on Twitter that the Commons benches would be packed by MPs keen to show they were not the unnamed politician arrested by the Met (and ordered to stay away from parliament).

The tweet drew almost universal condemnation and disbelief from all quarters, including Labour MP Chris Bryant among others.

Seriously Michael take this down now. It shows callous disregard for the alleged victims, and it implies rape and sexual assault are a laughing matter. Take it down.

— Chris Bryant (@RhonddaBryant) May 18, 2022

Breaking: fabricant clarifies that he isn’t a rapist. But he is still a fucking dick. https://t.co/M7fu24nNi9

— Jonathan Pie (@JonathanPieNews) May 18, 2022

A hilarious joke about an MP accused of rape and sexual misconduct over the course of 7 years

— James Felton (@JimMFelton) May 18, 2022

Michael what the fuck. https://t.co/jtlMhpe6kU

— Sooz Kempner (@SoozUK) May 18, 2022

You should read your funny tweet out to the victim

— Danny Wallace (@dannywallace) May 18, 2022

One of the grimmest things about working in Westminster is not just the regularity with which allegations of rape and sexual assault come up, but the fact people like Fabricant here trivialise these as a laughing matter or quirky bit of gossip complete with 😜 emoji. https://t.co/0xGzf6zA5d

— Charlotte Nichols (@charlotte2153) May 18, 2022

cool, cool, hilarious emojis about a colleague accused of rape and sexual assault, cool, cool.

— Sarah Phelps (@PhelpsieSarah) May 18, 2022

The fact that other MPs are openly making jokes about this says everything you need to know about institutional misogyny. #FixTheSystemNotTheWomen https://t.co/byovkeNWs4

— EverydaySexism (@EverydaySexism) May 18, 2022

Except Fabricant wasn’t having any of it, and rather than deleting and apologising, that sort of thing, he doubled down instead.

No-one is making light of rape or assault. Far from it. But those who want to read something into a comment will contrive to do so whatever. They are professional offence takers. https://t.co/mNcDPgAoR6

— Michael Fabricant (@Mike_Fabricant) May 18, 2022

Except …

The whole joke was “isn’t it hilarious that we’ll all show up to do our actual job in order to prove we’re not the accused rapist” Michael.

— James Felton (@JimMFelton) May 18, 2022

The disgusting tweet you have been ordered to delete contained this emoji:😜 If you think that is an appropriate addendum to *any* comment about serious sexual assault allegations, you are reprehensible. If you don't, you are a liar. https://t.co/OlGnMw9KcB

— James Oh Brien (@mrjamesob) May 18, 2022