Following accusations that he was acting like a “dirty old man,” Dominic Raab has denied winking at Labour’s Angela Rayner in the Commons.
At Prime Minister’s Questions, where the two filled in for their respective party leaders, the Deputy Prime Minister was seen on video making the gesture toward the opposition front bench.
However, Mr. Raab’s backers have argued that the wink was not intended for his female rival.
Instead, they claimed he was winking at her front-bench counterpart, Ian Murray, the shadow Scottish secretary for Labour, who told the Times he had been “braying loudly” next to her.
The story was today, however, refuted by Labour, according to a party source, who said: “The Deputy Prime Minister winking like a nasty old man at Ian? It’s doubtful,
The Deputy Prime Minister attacked Ms. Rayner over Labour’s stance toward last week’s rail strikes while filling in for Boris Johnson, who was in Madrid for a Nato summit.
He said that Ms. Rayner had “flip-flopped” about the strikes that disrupted the rail network last week.
Toby Perkins, a Labour MP, tweeted after Dominic Raab winked at Angela Rayner: “I will never unsee Dominic Raab’s wink from the despatch box.” I feel dirty. She then retorted, “Imagine how I feel.”
In the boisterous Commons debate, Mr. Rabb also stirred a snobby controversy when he called his Manchester-raised opponent a “champagne socialist” for attending rich parties and opera at Glyndebourne.
Later, the spokesperson for Boris Johnson was compelled to state that “everyone should be able to enjoy arts, culture, and such similar things across the UK.”
Later, Ms. Rayner brought up the argument in a tweet, writing, “Dominic Raab won’t approve, but I did go to the opera last week (it cost me £62).”
The invitation came from Tom Eisner, a working-class young man from the nearby town of Buxton. He has spent 36 years performing on the violin at Glyndebourne. Never allow somebody to diminish your abilities.
In the absence of their party leaders, Mr. Raab and Ms. Rayner typically make the most of their opportunity to lead.
And today was no different, since Mr. Johnson was gone in Spain for a NATO summit.
Ms. Rayner did her part to set the scenario, bragging that she was prepared to face “karate black belt” Tory since she was wearing “Kung Fu Panda” heels and sharing a photo of her Irregular Choice shoes on Twitter.
Ms. Rayner began by asking Raab if he thought the Cabinet will continue to support the Prime Minister until the 2030s.
The first two by-election losses for the government in three decades occurred this week, she told the Commons.
It is understandable why the Prime Minister departed the nation and left the honorable member to handle the situation.
“Wakefield and Tiverton residents held their own votes of no confidence.”
Not only is the prime minister losing the audience, he is also losing his nation.
But rather than displaying some humility, he plans to continue to struggle until the 2030s.
Does he really believe that the Cabinet will continue to support him?
The Deputy Prime Minister’s response, “I kindly point out to her that we want this Prime Minister going a lot longer than she wants the leader of the Labour Party,” was met with a thunderous applause.
He stated that “we are focused on delivering for the British people” and that “we have a workable majority of 75.”
When we see the image of Labour frontbenchers joining the picket lines, he continued, “We will safeguard the public from these damaging rail strikes.”
She talks about working folks, he said. Where was she last Thursday when the friends were on the picket line?
Where was she when the Labour frontbenchers chose to stand with them rather than the general populace?
She was enjoying champagne and opera at the Glyndebourne music festival.
The Labour Party is once again embracing champagne socialism.
For eight more years, Ms. Rayner retaliated, declaring that Britain cannot “digest” Boris Johnson.
The prime minister of this nation, not the leader of the opposition, is what she really wanted for her honorable buddy, the leader of this opposition, she remarked.
Sincerely, it could not have arrived sooner. For another eight years, the British people cannot bear this Prime Minister.
For the next eight minutes, his own backbenchers can’t stand him.
I don’t think the electorate will be able to stand him for even eight seconds on the ballot if they keep supporting him.