Angela Rayner was torn apart at PMQs today as deputy PM Oliver Dowden couldn’t resist laying into her over the ongoing housing row.
Ms Rayner tried spiking his inevitable jokes and attacks by raising her second homes row first, opening by saying: “I know the party opposite is desperate to talk about my living arrangements, but the public want to know what this government is going to do about theirs”.
After asking a question about housebuilding, Mr Dowden launched a broadside at the Labour deputy.
He joked: “It is a pleasure to have another exchange with the Rt Hon lady in this house!”
“Our fifth in 12 months. Any more of these and she’ll be claiming it as her principal residence!”
The swipe at Ms Rayner, the first of many this lunchtime, sparked delight and laughter from Tory MPs, who have been looking forward to the sparring match ever since it emerged Mr Sunak would be unable to attend due to his trip to Germany.
Ms Rayner was filmed fake laughing, while shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves sat stoney-faced.
In another swipe, Mr Dowden took aim at Ms Rayner’s plan to abolish anti-union legislation, which he claimed would “sweep away the reforms that made this country great”.
He quipped: “We all know the one Margaret Thatcher reform that the Rt Hon Lady would not abolish: the right to buy your council house!”
Ms Rayner got her own back with a joke taking aim at the Tories’ recent scandal around MP Mark Menzies.
She fired back: “I was expecting better from him today – he must be a bit worn out, maybe it’s the 3am calls from the ‘bad men’ that have been keeping him up at night!”
MORE TO COME…
