Women MPs hit back at misogyny faced by Angela Rayner

Women politicians have condemned a suggestion made in a newspaper that Labor’s Angela Rayner is trying to distract Boris Johnson in the House of Commons by crossing and uncrossing her legs.

The Mail on Sunday claimed some unnamed Conservative MPs said she was trying to “throw the Prime Minister out of step”.

Ms Rayner dismissed this as a “perverse smear” showing that women in politics face misogyny on a daily basis.

A number of women politicians, including Tory MPs, spoke out in favor of her.

Conservative Caroline Nokes said too many female MPs from all parties had been “disgusting article in the end”, while former Minister Andrea Leadsom tweeted: “Really sorry Angela. Totally unacceptable comments and reporting.”

Both Mr Johnson and Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer also criticized the comments, with the Prime Minister tweeting: “As much as I disagree with Angela Rayner on almost all policy issues, I respect her as a parliamentarian and regret the anonymous misogyny directed at her today. “

Sir Keir added: “The sexism and misogyny peddled by the Tories is a shameful new low for a party mired in scandal and chaos.”

The Mail on Sunday does not comment.

The article – which has now been changed to a headline over Labor Deputy Leader Rayner’s response on Twitter – quoted unnamed Conservative MPs who claimed she would cross her legs and open them when facing the Prime Minister at the mailing box in the House of Commons to distract him.

A host of MPs have since spoken out to condemn not only the proposal made but also the tone of the newspaper’s reporting.

The newspaper article read: “Tory MPs have mischievously hinted that Ms Rayner would like to distract the Prime Minister when he is in the shipping box by performing a fully clothed Parliamentary equivalent of Sharon Stone’s infamous scene in the 1992 film Basic Instinct set in.”

The newspaper said: “It is also suggested that she uses the tactic by sitting next to Sir Keir when he faces Mr Johnson at PMQs.”

The newspaper quotes one MP as saying: ‘She knows she can’t match Boris’ Oxford Union debating training but she has other skills that he lacks.

“She admitted as much while enjoying drinks with us [Commons] Terrace.”

The play also described the Labor MP’s background as “a grandmother who left school at 16 while pregnant and had no qualifications before becoming a carer”.

Ms. Rayner condemned the article in a thread on Twitter called “gut journalism” and accused the sources of “spreading desperate, perverted slanders in their futile rescue attempts [Mr Johnson’s] skin” amid the Partygate scandal.

She added: “I will not be put off by their vile lies. Your attempts to harass and intimidate me will fail.

“I hope this experience doesn’t stop anyone like me, with a background like mine, from taking part in public life. That would break my heart.”

The report prompted a huge backlash on social media and support for the Labor MP.

Scotland’s First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “Solidarity across the political divide to Angela Rayner.

“It’s a reminder of the deep misogyny that women face every day.”

Liberal Democrat MP Munira Wilson described it as a “disgraceful story” and said: “I can’t even believe it made it to print.”

And Labour’s shadow leader in the House of Commons, Thangam Debbonaire, added: “It all goes to show that we need more women in politics and that when we work together we are powerful and fearsome and some wretched men feel threatened by it.”