James Cleverly admits calling MP ‘s’ – but denies calling Stockton-on-Tees a ‘shole’, source says

Published

2 years ago

November 24, 2023

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James Cleverly has admitted to calling a Labour MP “s***” – but denied describing Stockton-on-Tees as a “s***hole”, a source has said.

The home secretary came under scrutiny for his language after this week’s Prime Minister’s Questions, with claims he made the rude remark about the northern town following a question from Stockton North MP Alex Cunningham regarding child poverty in the area.

Making a point of order on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Cunningham told the Commons the audio had been “checked, checked, and checked again” – and the comment brought “shame” on the minister and the government.

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Calls continued to grow for an apology from Mr Cleverly, with the Tory mayor of Teesside Lord Houchen joining in to accuse the minister of “dragging Stockton’s name through the mud”.

The mayor also criticised the “childish and unprofessional language used by Westminster politicians who should know better”.

The issue was raised during business questions on Thursday as well, with shadow Commons leader Lucy Powell saying: “This sort of foul language may be accurate when describing government policy, but it is not for the great town of Stockton.”

On Wednesday, a spokesman for Mr Cleverly denied he made the remark, saying: “He did not say that, and would not. He’s disappointed people would accuse him of doing so.”

But following the intervention from Lord Houchen, a source close to the home secretary admitted the minister had used “unparliamentary language” – though it wasn’t directed at the town.

The source told Sky News: “James made a comment. He called Alex Cunningham a s*** MP. He apologises for unparliamentary language.

“As was made clear yesterday, he would never criticise Stockton. He’s campaigned in Stockton and is clear that it is a great place.”

Labour’s Ms Powell said the excuse given “still doesn’t really wash I’m afraid”, and posted on X – formerly known as Twitter – that Mr Cleverly “should come to the House and apologise properly”.

A spokeswoman for Rishi Sunak said the prime minister stood by the home secretary, despite the row.

Asked whether Mr Cleverly retained Mr Sunak’s full confidence, a Number 10 spokeswoman said: “He does, yes. I’ve also seen that the home secretary’s team has clarified and provided an apology for using unparliamentary language.

“We don’t have anything further to add to that.”

It is not the first time Mr Cleverly’s language has been brought into question.

Last week, the home secretary was accused of calling the government’s Rwanda scheme to send asylum seekers to the east African nation “bats***” – a claim he repeatedly refused to deny.

Politics

MP Zarah Sultana who was ousted from Labour announces she is starting new political party with Jeremy Corbyn

Published

10 hours ago

July 3, 2025

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MP Zarah Sultana who was ousted from Labour announces she is starting new political party with Jeremy Corbyn

An MP who was ousted from the Labour Party has announced she is setting up a new political party with Jeremy Corbyn.

Independent MP Zarah Sultana said she and the former Labour leader will co-lead the new party, which she did not provide a name for.

She said other independent MPs, campaigners and activists from across the country will join them, but did not name anyone.

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Ms Sultana also said she was “resigning” from the Labour Party after 14 years.

She was suspended as a Labour MP shortly after they came to power last summer for voting against the government maintaining the two-child benefit cap.

Several others from the left of the party, including Mr Corbyn, were also suspended for voting against the government, and also remained as independent MPs.

However, Ms Sultana was still a member of the Labour Party – until now.

Mr Corbyn has previously said the independent MPs who were suspended from Labour would “come together” to provide an “alternative.

The other four are: Iqbal Mohamed, Shockat Adam, Ayoub Khan and Adnan Hussain.

Mr Corbyn and the other four independents have not said if they are part of the new party Ms Sultana announced.

In her announcement, Ms Sultana said she would vote to abolish the two-child benefit cap again and also voted against scrapping the winter fuel payment for most pensioners.

Ms Sultana also voted against the government’s welfare bill this week, which was heavily watered down as Sir Keir Starmer tried to prevent a major rebellion from his own MPs.

On Wednesday, Ms Sultana spoke passionately against Palestine Action being proscribed as a terror organisation – but MPs eventually voted for it to be.

She said to proscribe it is “a deliberate distortion of the law to chill dissent, criminalise solidarity and suppress the truth”.

Ms Sultana said they were founding the new party because “Westminster is broken but the real crisis is deeper – just 50 families now own more wealth than half the UK population”.

She called Reform leader Nigel Farage “a billionaire-backed grifter” leading the polls “because Labour has completely failed to improve people’s lives.

The MP, who has spoken passionately about Gaza, added: “Across the political establishment, from Farage to Starmer, they smear people of conscience trying to stop a genocide in Gaza as terrorists.

“But the truth is clear: this government is an active participant in genocide. And the British people oppose it.

“We are not going to take this anymore.”

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “In just 12 months, this Labour government has boosted wages, delivered an extra four million NHS appointments, opened 750 free breakfast clubs, secured three trade deals and four interest rate cuts lowering mortgage payments for millions.

“Only Labour can deliver the change needed to renew Britain.”