Kemi Badenoch needs a “full blown resuscitation”, Commons Leader Lucy Powell said, as she jibed that the Tory leader’s future at the helm is at “death’s door”.
Ms Powell went on to claim Conservative MPs spent much of their summer checking whether Mrs Badenoch “had a pulse or not”.
Her comments came in response to a Tory attack on Angela Rayner, who on Wednesday admitted to underpaying stamp duty on her seaside flat.
Shadow Commons leader Jesse Norman claimed Ms Rayner’s conduct gives the “appearance of very serious impropriety” and “discredits both the Prime Minister and the Government as a whole”.
Sources close to Ms Rayner, who is also the Housing Secretary, said she was given three separate pieces of legal advice before buying an £800,000 flat in Hove at the centre of the row.
Ms Rayner has described her actions as “a mistake” and referred herself to the independent ethics adviser.
Speaking at business questions on Thursday, Mr Norman said: “I like, and I rather admire the Deputy Prime Minister. Uniquely, amongst the Government at least, she has a policy of trying to reduce taxes.”
He added: “Does (Ms Powell) believe Cabinet ministers, let alone the Deputy Prime Minister of this country, should be using schemes to dodge tax?
“Should the Secretary of State responsible for housing be flipping her own main residence to avoid paying tax due on it? Does she concede that there is the appearance of very serious impropriety about these proceedings?”
Mr Norman went on to claim Ms Rayner had fallen short of the “high standards” set by the Government, adding: “It discredits both the Prime Minister and the Government as a whole.”
Responding, Ms Powell replied: “The Deputy Prime Minister has given a full account of her family circumstances and her living arrangements, and made clear that she is now rectifying the mistake she has made.
“She has referred herself to the independent adviser on ministerial standards, who is now looking into it. And I am not going to say any more on that matter, because he is looking into it.
“But, suffice to say, the Deputy Prime Minister is a huge, huge asset to this Government. She’s an incredibly effective minister and she has been delivering.
“Whether that’s record investment in social housing, the flagship Employment Rights Bill, the biggest settlement for local government in many years, major planning reforms to get more homes built and delivering devolution and community empowerment and much, much more. They have a go at her because she is so bloody good at her job.”
The Cabinet minister went on to criticise the Conservative leader, saying: “His leader, doesn’t need so much a reset, but a full blown resuscitation, doesn’t she? Her party spent most of the summer checking whether she had a pulse or not.
“But the truth is that her leadership, as is the future of the party opposite, is quite frankly, at death’s door.”
