Corbyn hits out at ‘unbelievable stupidity’ of Tories over Commons behaviour

Jeremy Corbyn accused the Tories of “unbelievable stupidity” as he shot back in the furious row over his muttered comments in the Commons.

The Labour leader has denied calling Theresa May a “stupid woman” during a clash at Prime Minister’s Questions, insisting he said “stupid people”.

TV cameras in the Commons picked out Mr Corbyn as he said something inaudible to those next to him after the Prime Minister likened his attempt to force a confidence vote in her to a Christmas pantomime.

In a video message on Thursday, Mr Corbyn said: “I was accused of saying something I didn’t say.

“Did I say: ‘Stupid people?’ Yeah, I did, because I think they are.

“Because I think that turning Parliament into a pantomime is an act of unbelievable stupidity.

“They should be facing up to the real issues that people in our country face about the danger of a no-deal Brexit, with all the chaos that would bring, and serious issues about poverty, Universal Credit and homelessness within our society.”

Commons Leader Andrea Leadsom on Thursday said Mrs May’s performance was just “parliamentary banter”.

She said she believed Mr Corbyn called the Prime Minister a “stupid woman”, telling the Today programme: “That is how it looks to me.”

She defended the Prime Minister’s use of pantomime language during her PMQs attack on Mr Corbyn, saying: “Anyone in the country would see the difference between a bit of parliamentary banter and somebody calling someone a ‘stupid woman’.”