South Derbyshire MP Heather Wheeler was not to be deterred when she gave her first speech in her new top Government job as she dished out a cutting put-down to a heckler.
The Tory MP quipped, "Behave yourself, love" in what she has described as a "bear pit" atmosphere in Parliament as she was heckled in her inaugural appearance since her promotion.
Earlier in January, during Prime Minister Theresa May's cabinet reshuffle, the 58-year-old MP was handed a fresh promotion.
She was given the new role of Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government after serving as whip in the Treasury.
However, in her first ministerial outing on Monday, January 22, Mrs Wheeler - who has been an MP since 2010 - had been responding to a question.
The ongoing discussion was about the children living in temporary accommodation, with Mrs Wheeler saying that the current figure is now lower than that in 2006.
This brought rousing jeering from Labour, leading Mrs Wheeler to tell one MP to "behave herself", adding a traditional Derbyshire "love" and "please" to finish the rebuttal.
Mrs Wheeler told the Burton Mail: "Monday was my first ministerial outing at housing community and local government oral questions in the Chamber of the House of Commons.
"I was asked a question about why the number of children who are living in temporary accommodation was rising.
"I pointed out that actually the figure was lower now than its peak in 2006 under the Labour Government.
"This fact seemed to upset a number of Labour MPs and so heckling started.
"Whilst the Chamber can be a 'bear pit' and robust exchanges are the norm I really did feel that the heckling, especially from the Labour Front Bench, was out of order and told the lady, in my best South Derbyshire style to 'Behave herself' adding a friendly 'love' at the end of the comment.
"What I was saying was the truth and so should not have been shouted down.
"However my aside to the heckler was a spur of the moment thing and I consider the matter closed.
"It did rather deal with the heckling though!"
