Angela Rayner has defended calling Boris Johnson and Conservative ministers ‘scum’ during a Labour party conference event
(Picture: Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)Angela Rayner has caused controversy at the Labour Party Conference by reportedly calling Boris Johnson “scum”.
Speaking at a conference event on Saturday night, the deputy Labour leader was reported to make the comments about Tory politicians and in doing so has caused a stir:
Rayner: “I’m sick of shouting from the sidelines, and i bet youse lot are too. We cannot get any worse than a bunch of scum, homophobic, racist, mysoginistic, absolute pile …of banana republic…Etonian…piece of scum…and I held back a little…that I have ever seen in my life” pic.twitter.com/YzDAKlWflt
— Mikey Smith (@mikeysmith) September 25, 2021
Today, Rayner has said she will not retract her comments and, speaking to Trevor Phillips on Sky News, said “scum” was her “street language” for saying it was “appalling” for people to behave in the way she said the prime minister had behaved.
“It’s a phrase you would hear very often in northern working class towns. We’d even say it jovially to other people - we say it’s a scummy thing to do.”
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Speaking to the BBC, she added: “I think Boris Johnson is a racist, homophobic misogynist.
“I think he needs to apologise for comments he has made in the past.”
Reacting to her words, some thought her comments were acceptable and that she shouldn’t be reprimanded. Commentators pointed out that her critics often defend free speech and said that Boris Johnson’s infamous comments about Muslim women were worse:
Angela Rayner saying “scum” will now be presented as worse than Boris Johnson’s decades long record of racist, sexist, xenophobic and homophobic comments.
— Mic Wright (@brokenbottleboy) September 26, 2021
All the free speech crusaders will be roaring their defence of Angela Rayner soon, I’m sure. Maybe they’re having a lie-in.
— James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) September 26, 2021
If you’re more concerned about Angela Rayner’s language calling out child poverty than the fact children in this country are in poverty, you are part of the problem.
— Frances Ryan (@DrFrancesRyan) September 26, 2021
Others, however, thought she should not have used that language and pointed out she previously called on MPs to change their tone in parliament:
The problem with Angela Rayner’s “scum” comment is not the rudeness (driven by passion, she’d argue) but what does it say about those who vote for scum? Or those who feel their values are now represented by scum? 48% of working class voters backed the Tories in 2019.
— Sebastian Payne (@SebastianEPayne) September 26, 2021
If Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner thinks Conservatives are scum, and feels it’s ok to say that on live TV, Labour really can’t and don’t represent the people of the UK.
— Kevin Edger (@KEdge23) September 26, 2021
The whole Labour Party is rotten to the core, with absolutely no values.
Labour top line message on Sunday morning of conference: Boris Johnson is scum
— Alex Wickham (@alexwickham) September 26, 2021
Meanwhile Angela Rayner 2 years ago: pic.twitter.com/6aIf22luIR
Foreign Office minister James Cleverly also accused Ms Rayner of “talking crap”, according to GB News.
He said: “I’m sure this went down well in the room but when voters look at the party that has had both female PMs, with half of the great offices of state filled by women, half by BAME, most diverse government, more gay ministers than Labour ever had etc, they’ll know she’s talking crap.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told the BBC’s Andrew Marr show that would speak to his deputy but it was a matter for her whether she apologised.
“Angela and I take a different approach and that is not the language I would have use,” he added.
Pressed on whether he would asking her to apologise, he said that was a matter for her but added: “I will talk to her later.”
Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy also distanced herself from Ms Rayner’s comments.
She told BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House: “Angela feels very strongly about what this government is doing, I do as well but that’s not the way that I would choose to articulate my anger.
“The way that I think we best respond to this actually is to prove to the people of this country that we’re an alternative not just an opposition to the government.”
