Angela Rayner defends verbal attack on Tory ministers

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has refused to apologise for her attack on the “scum” in the UK Government.

She had faced calls to apologise after reportedly describing the Tories as “scum” at a Labour party conference reception.

UK Government minister Amanda Milling described the Labour MP’s remarks as “shocking”.

But on Sunday, Rayner defended the comments, stressing that it was levelled at senior ministers rather than at Tory voters.

And she said she would only apologise if Prime Minister Boris Johnson said sorry for his past comments “that are homophobic, that are racist, that are misogynistic”.

She told Sky News: “Anyone who leaves children hungry during a pandemic and can give billions of pounds to their mates on WhatsApp, I think that was pretty scummy.”

Rayner launched the outspoken attack on the Conservatives during an event for Labour activists from north-west England at the conference in Brighton.

The Ashton-under-Lyne MP described the Tories as “a bunch of scum, homophobic, racist, misogynistic”, the Daily Mirror reported.

Foreign Office minister James Cleverly accused Rayner of “talking crap”.

He said: “I’m sure this went down well in the room but when voters look at the party that has had both female PMs, with half of the great offices of state filled by women, half by BAME, most diverse government, more gay ministers than Labour ever had etc, they’ll know she’s talking crap.”