Desperate supporters of Angela Rayner have been targeting a Tory MP who has been one of the most prominent critics of the house-hopping Labour deputy leader.
Leftwing internet trolls have started a pile-on of Tory MP Dame Andrea Jenkyns demanding to know why she lives in separate homes from fellow Conservative MP Jack Lopresti, whom she married in 2017.
The problem is that Dame Andrea divorced Lopresti two years ago after five years of marriage. The two represent constituencies more than 200 miles apart with Jenkyns representing Outwood and Morley in Leeds and her ex-husband MP for Filton and Bradley Stoke near Bristol.
A pile-on by Labour activists has been instigated on X (formerly Twitter) and one leftwinger has been trying to change Dame Andrea’s Wikipedia entry to suggest she is still married to the Tory deputy chairman.
One friend of Dame Andrea’s said: “This really is desperate stuff and she has been subjected to vile attacks all because she has pointed out the hypocrisy of Angela Rayner. It’s typical Labour!”
Jenkyns has been asking searching questions over the developing scandal over Rayner’s former home which she sold and failed to pay capital gains tax despite living just a few miles away with her partner.
Greater Manchester Police are now investigating Ms Rayner over allegations around the property and its sale and Dame Andrea has been at the forefront of demanding transparency in an investigation where the local police and crime commissioner is a Labour politician.
Ms Rayner has insisted she has done nothing wrong after questions were raised in an unauthorised biography of her by Tory peer Lord Ashcroft.
Reflecting on the attacks she has received in recent days, Dame Andrea told Express.co.uk: “Jack and I are divorced. Sadly living 200 miles apart with marginal seats took its toll on our relationship. I wish him well and we remain amicable and wish to do the best for our son. The lefty pro-Labour trolls are way off the mark, they are clearly trying to deflect the heat off Rayner.”
One internet troll SophieRam97 wrote: “Andrea Jenkyns a Yorkshire MP. Her husband is an MP near Bristol. They might have a London property. Where is her primary residence and where is she registered to vote? Is her primary residence the same as her husband? And this question applies to other MPs in all parties.”
Another called Claire wrote: “Andrea Jenkyns appears to live in two of three places. Husband says he lives in Bristol and her constituency is in Yorkshire and she says she lives there…”
Another wrongly alleged she lives “500m apart from her husband”.
In contrast, Rayner was living just a few miles away from the house she alleged was her home in her partner’s house.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) is investigating whether Labour’s deputy leader broke electoral law after allegations she may have given false information about her main residence a decade ago.
Ms Rayner has also faced questions over whether she should have paid capital gains tax on the 2015 sale of her former council house in Stockport due to confusion over whether it was her principal residency.
