Thursday's opinion page pieces concentrated on the fallout over inflammatory language used in Parliament in a fiery debate after the Supreme Court found Boris Johnson's suspension of House of Commons proceedings was "unlawful". Here is The Herald’s pick of those editorials.

The Scotsman.

It's leader talked of "shameful scenes in a toxic parliament" and said it was now the responsibility of all sides to "lower the temperature and attempt respectful debate".

"The Prime Minister suggesting that the best way to honour the murdered Labour politician Jo Cox - who campaigned to Remain in the EU - was to 'get Brexit done', was simply indefensible. Even for him," said the paper.

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"The use of inflammatory language in the Chamber in general was appalling. And the fact that this all played out on live TV in the 'Mother of all Parliaments' was perhaps the most troubling of all.

Words matter, and all politicians of course know this."

It added: "We know the desperate divisions created by Brexit have resulted in an unacceptable rise in hate speech and an apparent tolerance for it. It is the responsibility of all sides to ensure temperatures are lowered and some semblance of reasoned and respectful debate can take place.

"There was no apology from the Prime Minister yesterday - no surprise."

 

The Daily Telegraph

The paper pointed the finger of accusation at the House of Commons Speaker, John Bercow, who was "happy to preside over a raucous, ranting rabble some of whom accused the Prime Minister of being a bigot and a racist, accusations that today are somewhat more toxic and inflammatory than 'hooligan' or 'squirt'".

The leader said: "But should we be surprised given the circumstances that tempers boiled over in the Commons? After all, what is the chamber for, if not to air the grievances of the nation and reflect the divisions that already exist? Nor has it always been a paragon of propriety."

"Mr Johnson used nothing like the intemperate language directed at him yet finds himself pilloried for allegedly insulting the memory of a murdered MP and playing to the mob.

"A debating chamber is not supposed to be a place where statements are read out in the hope that a tortured soundbite will make it on to the news. What so many MPs denounced as the collapse in standards merely reflected their own inadequacies as debaters."

The Independent

It's leader drew parallels between the Prime Minister and Donald Trump, but believed that Mr Johnson's "divisive language" will unite his opponents.

"The self-Trumpification of Mr Johnson makes Britain ashamed to have him as its leader. He is an embarrassment not because he is a jolly clown but because he is a sinister one, like his model in Washington. That is something of a first," said the paper.

"The prime minister enjoys tight 24/7 security behind a wall of armed police. Not everyone has that assured level of safety.

"Mr Johnson should also acknowledge that there are some crazed individuals out there who respond to such an atmosphere, and who will happily make it their business to attack MPs, judges, party workers or anyone else they perceive as "traitors".

"If only for that reason, Mr Johnson should stop with the insults before it is too late."

The Times

The paper said "extreme rhetoric" on all sides "threatens to discredit parliament" while arguing Mr Johnson's "inflammatory language" makes a Brexit deal less likely.

It said the EU cannot expect to make concessions unless it believes Mr Johnson can get a new deal through Parliament, making the PM's decision to "further polarise the Brexit debate ill judged".

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"Boris Johnson deserves censure for what happened on Wednesday night," the leader stated.

"The Times has been critical in recent weeks of opponents of the prime minister who have used hysterical language to criticise the government's actions. There is no question their inflammatory talk of "coups" and "dictators" and accusations of fascism have contributed to the febrile environment. Now it is Mr Johnson who needs to calm down."

And it added: "The Times backed Mr Johnson to become prime minister not because we were blind to his flaws but because we believed that, despite those flaws, he remained at his core a centre-right Conservative with the charisma and political skills to secure a Brexit deal and defeat a Labour Party captured by the far left. Even after all the mis-steps and setbacks of the past month, there is still time for Mr Johnson to fulfil these expectations. But not much time."