Jamaica Gleaner

Opposition leader denies calling PM May a ‘stupid woman’

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BRITAIN’S MAIN opposition leader sparked a political furore Wednesday after he was accused of calling Prime Minister Theresa May a“stupid woman”in the House of Commons.

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn was caught on camera appearing to mutter the insult during the prime minister’s weekly question-and-answer session.

He denied it, saying instead that he had called Conservati­ve lawmakers “stupid people”.

The always-lively session was even more heated than usual, as lawmakers’ frustratio­ns and divisions over Brexit boiled over into raucous shouting and personal jibes. Britain expected to leave the European Union on March 29, but lawmakers from many political stances are against May’s Brexit plan.

Conservati­ve legislator­s yelled “Shame!” and “Disgracefu­l!” at Corbyn after the alleged jibe.

“I did not use the words ‘stupid woman’ about the prime minister or anyone else, and am completely opposed to the use of sexist or misogynist language in absolutely any form at all,” Corbyn said.

The incident came as Britain’s Parliament attempts to end bullying, abuse and sexual harassment. Earlier this year, a cross-party working group reported that one in five parliament­ary workers had experience­d or witnessed sexual harassment in the previous year.

It’s not the first time a male political leader in Britain has been accused of using sexist language.

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