In 1988, he grabbed the House of Commons mace and threw it to the floor, damaging it, during a debate on the poll tax. He was to make a personal statement, the text of which had been agreed with the Speaker of the House of Commons. However, when he deviated from the agreed wording and refused to return to them he was asked to leave the chamber. His words were captured in Hansard, "Since you know the grovelling statement, Mr. Speaker, I am not going to read it out; I am going to accept it. Right? MEMBERS: "No."".