We’ll discipline MP who made Rayner Basic Instinct claim, threatens minister
THE TORY MP who made the “misogynistic” claim that Angela Rayner tries to distract the Prime Minister in the Commons will be disciplined if caught, a minister said today.
An unnamed MP reportedly briefed a story that Labour’s deputy leader attempts to put off Boris Johnson during Prime Minister’s Questions by crossing and uncrossing her legs in a parliamentary equivalent of Sharon Stone’s scene in Basic Instinct.
Technology minister Chris Philp said he was “appalled” by the story in a Sunday newspaper, telling Sky News: “Nobody should have to suffer the kind of misogynistic abuse that sentiment amounts to.
“If it ever comes out [who is responsible], I would imagine they would be subject to discipline. “I think [Government whips] will be looking at whether they know who said this. Everybody is appalled by the misogynistic sentiment.”
The story quoted an MP as saying Ms Rayner “knows she can’t compete with Boris’s Oxford Union debating training, but she has other skills which he lacks”.
It was condemned by both Conservative and Labour MPs. Mr Johnson sent Ms Rayner a letter stating the story was “not in his name”. He also tweeted: “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.”
Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said Ms Rayner does not need to “use her sex” to win an argument at the despatch box.
“I’m afraid that this story just shines a spotlight on the sort of rubbish that female MPs and other women in parliament have to put up with on a day-to-day basis and it’s got to be called out because
Angela Rayner is a fantastic politician,” she said.