Angela Rayner: What Birmingham MP Jess Phillips said about the Mail on Sunday article

Birmingham Yardley MP Jess Phillips has described a controversial Daily Mail article which accused Angela Rayner of using underhand tactics at the Prime Minister’s Questions, as a “new low”.

An article published in the Mail on Sunday by political editor Glen Owen reported claims from several Conservative MPs that Angela Rayner “mischievously” tries to impede Boris Johnson at PMQs by crossing and uncrossing her legs.

The newspaper said the claims drew a parallel to an infamous scene in the 1992 film Basic Instinct during which Sharon Stone’s character is seen crossing and uncrossing her legs.

One anonymous Tory MP was quoted in the article as saying: “She knows she can’t compete with Boris’s Oxford Union debating training, but she has other skills which he lacks.

“She has admitted as much when enjoying drinks with us on the [Commons] terrace.”

The piece also contrasted Ms Rayner’s background as a former care worker who left school after becoming pregnant at 16, with Boris Johnson’s old Etonian roots.

The piece has been heavily criticsed, with Labour leader Kier Starmer describing it as “rank sexism, rank misogyny”.

What has Jess Phillips said about the story?

Taking to Twitter, the Yardley described is an a new low.

She wrote: “Jesus this Angela Rayner at PMQs story is a genuine new low.

“A) women sometimes move we are not mannequins

“B) If women moving puts off PM maybe don’t mention that while also painting him as a great war leader...our enemies will simply employ some women to shimmy.

“C) WT actual F”.

How did Angela Rayner respond to Mail on Sunday article?

The article quoted a spokesperson for Angela Rayner describing the allegation as “categorically untrue”.

But the deputy leader of the opposition went further in a series of Tweets criticising the article and the anonymous Tory MPs who contributed to it.

Describing it as “gutter journalism”, Ms Rayner wrote: “Women in politics face sexism and misogyny every day - and I’m no different.”

Directing her fire at the unnamed Conservative MPs who were quoted in the Mail on Sunday piece, she said: “Boris Johnson’s cheerleaders have resorted to spreading desperate, perverted smears in their doomed attempts to save his skin.

“They know exactly what they are doing. The lies they are telling.”

She accused Mr Johnson of “dragging the Conservative Party into the sewer” and said both he and his MPs “have a big problem with women in public life”.

Ms Rayner also criticised the Mail on Sunday for the “clear” implication of the “potted biography” it gave her.

A few hours after Angela Rayner’s thread went live, Boris Johnson appeared to deny claims he was responsible and gave his backing to Ms Rayner.

The PM tweeted: “As much as I disagree with @AngelaRayner on almost every political issue I respect her as a parliamentarian and deplore the misogyny directed at her anonymously today.”

His message was quote-Tweeted by Ms Rayner, who wrote “thank you”.

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