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Sir David Amess: Angela Rayner urged to apologise for ‘Tory scum’ remarks

Sir David Amess: Angela Rayner urged to apologise for ‘Tory scum’ remarks

Angela Rayner is under fresh pressure to apologise for her “Tory scum” comments in the wake of Conservative MP Sir David Amess’ murder.

Labour’s deputy leader joined colleagues from across the House of Commons paying tribute to Sir David, 69, who stabbed to death in front of horrified onlookers at his constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex on Friday.

However, Ms Rayner’s name and the offensive phrase she used at her party’s conference last month were trending on social media since the Southend West MP’s death.

Barrister and presenter Rob Rinder last night told listeners on his Talk Radio show: “Tory Scum is trending on Twitter. At the same time, women MPs will face daily rape and death threats.

“Listeners, this has to end. Today it has ended in the death of one of our best MPs.”

In a late-night rant on September 25, Mrs Rayner said she was “sick of shouting from the sidelines” at “a bunch of scum, homophobic, racist, misogynistic, absolute pile of... banana republic... Etonian... piece of scum”.

Essex Police Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington, Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Boris Johnson carry flowers as they arrive at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea to pay tribute to Sir David Amess (Essex Police/PA) (PA Media)
Essex Police Chief Constable Ben-Julian Harrington, Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer and Prime Minister Boris Johnson carry flowers as they arrive at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh-on-Sea to pay tribute to Sir David Amess (Essex Police/PA) (PA Media)

The 41-year-old former care worker doubled down on her claims, singling out Boris Johnson, Priti Patel and other Cabinet members who have “said appalling things”.

Defiant Mrs Rayner added her “post-watershed” comments were designed to put “fire in the belly” of party activists during a conference reception in Brighton.

The Ashton-under-Lyne MP said her attack was made in the “street language” of her northern working class roots.

In an apparent reference to the Prime Minister’s history of outspoken comments – including comparing burka-wearing Muslim women to “letter boxes” and describing gay men as “tank-topped bum boys” – Ms Rayner said she would only apologise if the Prime Minister also said sorry.

She added: “I’m saying the Prime Minister has said those things and acted in that way. If the Prime Minister wants to apologise and remove himself from those comments he has made that are homophobic, that are racist, that are misogynistic, I will apologise for calling him scummy.”

Before Sir David’s death was confirmed on Friday, Mrs Rayner tweeted: “I’m horrified by the reports regarding David Amess and an incident at his constituency surgery today.

“We don’t know the details yet but on behalf of all of us in the Labour Party I want to say all of our thoughts are with David and we all hope that he pulls through and is ok.”

Sir David - who won at the last general election with a margin of 14,000 votes - was knifed “multiple times” by a 25-year-old man around midday at his constituency surgery at Belfairs Methodist Church.

The suspect is believed to be a British national with Somali heritage.

The Metropolitan Police declared the incident an act of terrorism, with early investigations revealing “a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism”.

Police said a knife was recovered.

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