Jacob Rees-Mogg has been accused of disrespecting Parliament after slouching on the Government front bench during the emergency Brexit debate.

The Commons leader was listening to speeches in the emergency session, in which opposition MPs are trying to seize control of the order paper to force Boris Johnson to delay Brexit.

But his relaxed posture sparked fury among TV viewers and fellow MPs.

Labour's Anna Turley described his prostrate pose the "physical embodiment of arrogance, entitlement, disrespect and contempt for our Parliament."

And Green Party MP Caroline Lucas railed at him in her speech.

She said: "The Leader of the House, who I have to say with his body language this evening, has been so contemptuous of this house.

"And for the benefit of Hansard, the Leader of the House has been spread across three seats, lying out as if that was something very boring for him to listen to tonight."

Furious MPs shouted "sit up!"

Lib Dem Tom Brake added: "Perhaps it would be possible to get the Leader of the House a pillow to make him more comfortable?"

When the Commons is busy and noisy, some MPs have been known to sit back in a similar way to Mr Rees-Mogg, in order to put their ears closer to the speaker hidden in the backrest of the bench.

But Mr Rees-Mogg was spread out in a way that placed his ear further away from the nearest speaker than if he had been upright.

Also, the Commons was relatively empty and not at all rowdy at the time.

Viewers watching on TV were similarly horrified.

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