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As it happenedended
2 years ago

Boris Johnson news - live: Rayner condemns ‘perverted’ Tory smear as PM hits out at anonymous ‘misogyny’

Ms Rayner had been accused by her Tory colleagues of putting the prime minister ‘off his stride’ in the Commons

Emily Atkinson
Sunday 24 April 2022 11:00 EDT
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Patel outlines Rwanda plan, Johnson visits India and France goes to the polls | This Week in Politics

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Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has hit out at a story in the Mail on Sunday this morning which suggested she had been using a “Basic Instinct ploy” to distract Boris Johnson in the Commons.

The paper claimed that Ms Rayner had been accused by her Tory colleagues of putting the prime minister “off his stride” in the chamber by crossing and uncrossing her legs.

Ms Rayner said she believed the prime minister was himself behind the the “desperate, perverted smears” which likened her body language toward the PM to Sharon Stone’s iconic scene in the 1992 erotic thriller.

Prime minister Boris Johnson has since been forced to publicly denounce the blatant “misogyny” directed at the Labour MP for Ashton-under-Lyne.

Tweeting today, Mr Johnson said: “As much as I disagree with Angela Rayner on almost every political issue I respect her as a parliamentarian and deplore the misogyny directed at her anonymously today.”

But the PM’s criticism has become the subject of ridicule on Twitter after beady-eyed users spotted that culture secretary Nadine Dorries shared an identical tweet in condemnation of the accusations against Ms Rayner.

2 years ago

Defending the PM only ‘degrades’ democracy, says Labour MP

Prime minister Boris Johnson is trying to “tar everyone with the same brush and undermine democracy in order to get away with his own failings”, a Labour MP has said.

Ian Murray said that Mr Johnson and his government are “unfit to govern” Britain, adding that defending him only “degrades” democracy.

He told BBC Scotland: “We’re going through probably the biggest cost-of-living crisis in the history of this country, where many are discovering whether they can pay their bills, whether or not they can make a decision about heating or eating, and we seem to be consumed by a prime minister who’s completely unfit for office.

“He’s not just been doing this as prime minister. Every career he’s had, he’s either been fired from or asked to leave because his integrity has been under question.

“I just don’t think you should have that at any position in parliament, let alone prime minister.”

Emily Atkinson24 April 2022 14:40
2 years ago

Boris Johnson forced to condemn Tory ‘misogyny’ over Angela Rayner Basic Instinct ‘smear’

Boris Johnson has forced to condemn “misogyny” among his own MPs, after an angry backlash against claims that Angela Rayner deliberately distracts him by uncrossing her legs in the Commons.

The prime minister is embroiled in a damaging sexism row after “anonymous” Conservative MPs alleged tactics similar to Sharon Stone’s infamous scene in the 1992 film Basic Instinct.

Ms Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, accused Mr Johnson of being behind what she called the “desperate, perverted smears” which also targeted her working-class background, she protested.

Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has more:

PM forced to condemn Tory ‘misogyny’ over Angela Rayner Basic Instinct ‘smear’

Prime minister ‘deplores’ sexist briefings by his ‘anonymous’ MPs – but no investigation will take place
Emily Atkinson24 April 2022 15:00
2 years ago

Watch: Dowden dismisses story accusing Rayner of using ‘Basic Instinct’ ploy at PMQs

Dowden dismisses story accusing Rayner of using ‘Basic Instinct’ ploy at PMQs
Emily Atkinson24 April 2022 15:16
2 years ago

Opinion: ‘There’s an obvious alternative to the government’s Rwanda plan – they’re just overlooking it'

When parliament debated Patel’s Rwanda deal this week, she repeatedly made the claim that her opponents had no alternative to her plan. Critics might disagree, but they offered no solution to what to do about English Channel crossings in her view – a point many have bitterly contested, writes Thom Brooks.

But there is a clear alternative that would be a far better solution.

We might think it makes much better sense to return English Channel small boats to France or wherever in Europe they set off from than to pack them up and ship them 4,000 miles away. The priority is to organise their extradition – not to Rwanda – but to France or elsewhere in the European Union.

This might sound complicated, but it isn’t.

Opinion: There’s an obvious alternative to the government’s Rwanda plan

The absence of any extradition arrangement has singled Britain out and is no doubt a significant, and probably the most significant, contributing factor behind the rising numbers
Emily Atkinson24 April 2022 15:31
2 years ago

Angela Rayner backed by cross-party support after Tory Basic Instinct ‘smear’

Emily Atkinson24 April 2022 15:51

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