Angela Rayner has refused to apologise for calling Conservatives “homophobic, racist, misogynistic … scum”, saying the language reflects her working-class roots. The Labour deputy leader’s comments, made at a conference reception, drew criticism from Tories and distance from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
Speaking on Sunday, Rayner defended her remarks as “street language” from her northern upbringing. She said she would only apologise if Prime Minister Boris Johnson said sorry for past comments she deemed homophobic, racist, or misogynistic, referencing his remarks about burka-wearing women and gay men.
Starmer told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “Angela and I take different approaches, and that’s not language that I would use.” Shadow cabinet ministers Lisa Nandy and Ed Miliband also said they would not use such terms.
Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell defended Rayner, saying she was expressing “the anger many of us feel”. Tory co-chairman Oliver Dowden condemned the language, calling for politics to be improved rather than “dragged into the gutter”.
The controversy was compounded by remarks from Conservative MP James Gray, who suggested planting a bomb in the office of Labour chair Anneliese Dodds. Gray apologised for the “foolish remark”, while Dodds stressed the importance of safety for politicians.
