Home Secretary James Cleverly got into a fiery Commons clash as he continued to be dogged by accusations he branded Stockton a "s***hole".
The top Tory was forced to apologise in Parliament this afternoon for using "inappropriate language" during last week's Prime Minister's Questions - but insisted he had insulted the Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham rather than the northern town. But it turned into a heated clash in the Commons chamber, with Mr Cunningham heckling the minister and saying he hadn't properly apologised.
It comes after the Sunday Mirror cast doubt on his denial by using AI wizardry to clean up the audio from the exchange, which came when Mr Cunningham’s asked Rishi Sunak to explain why “34 per cent of children in my constituency are living in poverty.” Before the Prime Minister’s answered, a voice could be heard apparently saying “because it’s a s***hole.”
Mr Cleverly was blamed by some MPs but his allies denied the claims. However the row escalated when Tory Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen accused him of “dragging Stockton’s name through the mud”. Later that day, Mr Cleverly's spokesman clarified that it had been him - but he had been saying "s*** MP" rather than "s***hole".
Today, Mr Cunningham raised a point of order to dispute the claim. "It's untrue and has been shown to be untrue. My thanks to the Mirror and other wizards out there who have proved that to be the case," he told MPs. Commons Deputy Speaker Eleanor Laing told him to rephrase as MPs aren't allowed to accuse eachother of lying in Parliament. The Labour MP said the "talking down of Stockton would have consequences" and urged Mr Cleverly to apologise in Parliament for the slur on Stockton rather than "hide behind a half truth uttered by his official".
The Home Secretary replied: "I did not, would not and would never make such comments about his constituency. What I said was a comment about him. My apology was for using unparliamentary language. But I will make it absolutely clear, for the avoidance of doubt, that I did not..." To the sound of heckles from Mr Cunningham, Mr Cleverly said: "What are you calling me sir?"
After an intervention from the Speaker, he went on: "I know what I said. I rejected the accusation that I criticised his constituency. My criticism, which I made from a sedentary position, about the honourable gentleman used inappropriate language for which I apologise. But I will not accept that my criticism was of his constituency because it was not."
To further shouts from his Labour adversary, he said: "What are you saying sir?" Mr Cunningham then stood up and said he didn't require an apology for an insult against him "because it didn't happen". "He has not apologised to me, he has not apologised to the people in my constituency, he has apologised for using unparliamentary language," he retorted.