Angela Rayner: Labour deputy leader slammed for calling Tories 'scum'

Angela Rayner has faced calls to apologise after making the comment at a party conference reception – and even faced criticism from her own ranks.

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

Rayner launched an 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 said: "We cannot get any worse than a bunch of scum, homophobic, racist, misogynistic, absolute vile [inaudible] Banana Republic, vile, nasty, Etonian [inaudible] piece of scum”, the Daily Mirror reported.

Foreign Office minister Milling said: “Angela Rayner must apologise for these comments.”

She said Rayner had been former leader Jeremy Corbyn’s “henchman when Labour became embroiled in anti-Semitism” and “she failed to act”.

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“Rather than throwing around false accusations the Conservatives are focused on the people’s priorities,” Milling said.

Fellow 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.”

Rayner has also come under fire from her own party, according to reports.

Party sources insisted the remarks were not befitting of a deputy leader.

“Attack the Tories, that’s politics. But the country expect more the deputy leader of the Labour Party,” an insider told Politico.

“Her comments don’t help win back voter, in fact the exact opposite.”

Rayner is standing by her comments, however.

She told Sky News: “What I was trying to get across, and it is my passionate way in which I do it, is the anger and frustration that people feel when you have a Prime Minister who has said things and not apologised for them that are racist, misogynist, homophobic – that has given billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money to their mates and literally wasted that money at a time when they’re cutting Universal Credit, plunging families into crisis and the cost of living is going up."

She added: "Let me be clear, I’m talking about members of the Cabinet."

Labour leader Keir Starmer said he would speak to Rayner about the comments.

He told BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “Angela and I take different approaches and that’s not language that I would use.”

Asked if she should apologise, the Labour chief replied: “That’s a matter for Angela … but I would not have used those words.

“I will talk to Angela about it later on.”