James Cleverly accused of calling Stockton a 'sh**hole' over poverty rate

22 November 2023 , 13:56

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James Cleverly accused of calling Stockton a 'sh**hole' over poverty rate

A Tory MP was overheard calling a Labour MP's constituency a "s**thole" after he raised the issue of poverty - with many pointing the finger at the new Home Secretary.

During Prime Minister's Questions, the MP for Stockton North Alex Cunningham asked Rishi Sunak: "Why are 34% of children in my constituency living in poverty?" A voice from within the House of Commons can then be heard saying "sh**thole". Multiple Labour MPs said they believed it was James Cleverly who made the comment.

Mr Cleverly strongly denied the claim. Asked whether he made the comment, his spokesman said: "He did not, and would not. He’s disappointed they would accuse him of doing so."

Alex Cunningham raised the issue of child poverty in his constituency at PMQs

Mr Cunningham said he was "assured" the comment had been made by the Tory minister. He said it "shames" Mr Cleverly and called on him to "apologise without reservation" . The Labour MP told the Mirror: "This comment shames the Home Secretary, the government and his party and he should apologise without reservation. And after he has done that he should visit my constituency, learn about the poverty but also see for himself what a great place it is to live."

Speaking later to Channel 5 News, Mr Cunningham said he did not think Mr Cleverly "was fit for office". Asked about the comment, he said: "It’s deeply insulting. It’s deeply offensive, and to come from a member of the government front bench is absolutely appalling. He needs to get to the dispatch box and apologise to us. After all the Tories think they can retain the “Red Wall” in the north east of England, well believe you me, he’s just helped to ensure we will rebuild it and it will be red after the general election.”

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Pressed whether he thinks he'll get an apology, Mr Cunningham said: “I very much doubt it, I mean we know what sort of government we’ve got, a rotten government, rotten to the core, and you know, resignations seem to be a thing of the past when people do things wrong, but I don’t think this man is fit for office.”

In response to Mr Cunningham's question on child poverty in his area, Mr Sunak told the Commons: "It's this Government that has ensured that across our country 1.7million fewer people are living in poverty." MPs jeered at the PM and Mr Cunningham shouted back: "That's not true." Mr Sunak said: "Yes, that is true. Not only that, hundreds of thousands fewer children are living in poverty and income inequality is at a lower level than we inherited from the party opposite.

"But we don't want any child to grow up in poverty and the best way to make sure that happens is to ensure they do not grow up in a workless household and that is why the right strategy is to ensure that we provide as many children with the opportunity with grow up with parents in work."

There were 4.2 million children - or one in three kids - living in poverty in the UK in 2021/2022. This is up from 3.6 million in 2010-11. Around 350,000 more children were pushed into poverty last year, according to the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG).

Sophie Huskisson