Dominic Raab has taken a bitter swipe at Angela Rayner in today’s PMQs as the deputy leaders of Labour and the Conservative Party went head to head.
Rayner made a jibe at Raab over an investigation into claims that he had bullied staff.
The Deputy Prime Minister is being investigated for eight formal complaints about his behaviour as foreign secretary, Brexit secretary as well as his time as justice secretary.
Rayner said: "Madam Deputy speaker, this week the Government announced their so-called anti-social behaviour policy.
Dominic Raab and Angela Rayner furiously clash in bitter PMQs exchange: 'I have never called anyone scum!'Parliament TV
"It's only taken 13 years and look, I'll give him some credit, the Deputy Prime Minister knows first hand the misery caused by thugs and their intimidating behaviour lurking with menace, exploding in fits of rage, creating a culture of fear and maybe even I don't know, throwing things.
She continued: "So can I ask him, under his new antisocial behaviour, does he think more bullies will be brought to justice?"
Raab quipped back: "Madam Deputy Speaker, I can reassure the House I've never called anyone scum."
The swipe was met with a flurry of roars from the Tory backbenches.
Dominic Raab exclaimed: "I've never called anyone scum"
Parliament TV
Rayner referred to Tories as “scum” at the Labour Parts conference in 2021, she has since apologised for the remarks.
He continued: "If the right honourable lady is serious about standing up for communities and people who suffer at the scourge of antisocial behaviour, she should back our plan to deal more swiftly with these issues, to make sure that we ban drugs beyond the conventional ones, give police the powers they need.
"If they really want to protect the public they'll back our plans for parole reform, to make sure the murderers, the terrorists, the child killers are not allowed out, free to threaten other people and reintroduce the ministerial veto that that side took away."
Elsewhere, Rayner accused the Tories of “missing in action in the fight against crime”.
She said: “I’d like to see the ministerial code being introduced and adhered to on that side of the House, because it’s not just his department where anti-social behaviour is running out of control, it’s happening across the country.
“Police officers disappearing from our streets, replaced by criminals plaguing our towns and leaving people feeling unsafe. The truth is that the Conservatives are missing in action in the fight against crime. So can he tell his constituents and the public, why after 13 years of his party in Government there are now 6,000 fewer neighbourhood police officers on Britain’s streets?
Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab replied: “She really does have a brass neck because they voted against our funding of police recruitment and the 20,000 extra police officers, but what I will tell her and the whole House is crime is lower than it was under the last Labour government.
“Violent crime has halved, re-offending is seven percentage points lower and if she really wants to stand up for the public and the victims of crime, they should back our Bill to protect victims and protect the most vulnerable from serious killers, rapists and terrorists.”
