Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner has challenged PM Boris Johnson to meet with her to apologise for his own “racist, homophobic and sexist” remarks.
As the Labour Party conference was fully underway in Brighton, she said that he will have to say sorry for his comments before she apologises for calling Tories “scum”.
The Daily Mirror reported that she had said at a reception on Saturday night for activists at the Labour conference: “We cannot get any worse than a bunch of scum, homophobic, racist, misogynistic, absolute vile… banana republic, vile, nasty, Etonian… piece of scum.”
“I’m very happy to sit down with Boris. If he withdraws his comments and apologises, I’ll be very happy to apologise to him,” the Ashton-under-Lyne MP said.
Ms Rayner citred reports of Mr Johnson comparing burka-wearing Muslim women to “letter boxes” and describing gay men as “tank-topped bum boys”.
Labour leader Sir Keir distanced himself from Ms Rayner’s choice of words and said he would speak to her about the remarks.
Foreign Office minister James Cleverly accused her of “talking crap” and transport secretary Grant Shapps said her comments were “absolutely appalling”.
Meanwhile, Labour conference heard from shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves over plans to spend £28 billion of capital investment on tackling climate change if the party goes into government.
She told delegates that she wants to be the first ever “green chancellor”.
