Home Secretary James Cleverly apologises for calling Labour MP "s**t" but denies insulting Stockton North

The Home Secretary James Cleverly has apologised for calling a Labour MP "s***" during Prime Minister's Questions.

Cleverly was accused by Labour of calling Alex Cunningham’s Stockton North constituency a “s***hole”. He initially denied this, however now a source close to the Home Secretary has said he actually called the MP "s**t" instead of making a comment about his "great" constituency.

“James made a comment. He called Alex Cunningham a s*** MP. He apologises for unparliamentary language,” the source said. “As was made clear yesterday, he would never criticise Stockton. He’s campaigned in Stockton and is clear that it is a great place.”

A spokeswoman for the Prime Minister said that Rishi Sunak had "full confidence" in the Home Secretary, but that "generally the PM thinks it's important to be very careful with our language".

"His team have clarified and provided an apology and I have nothing further to add to that." On Stockton, she said: "His [Sunak's] own characterisation would be as far removed as you can imagine from some of the reported comments."

Cunningham said it happened after he challenged the Prime Minister about child poverty in the constituency. Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Cunningham had asked: "Why are 34% of children in my constituency living in poverty?"

Making a point of order in the Commons later on Wednesday, Cunningham said: “Before the Prime Minister answered, the Home Secretary chose to add in his pennyworth. Yes, I have contacted his office advising him I planned to name him, but sadly he has chosen not to be in the chamber. He was seen and heard to say ‘because it’s a ****hole’.

"I know he is denying being the culprit, but the audio is clear and has been checked, checked, and checked again. There is no doubt that these comments shame the Home Secretary, this rotten government, and the Tory Party. He is clearly unfit for his high office.”

Labour subsequently published a video of the incident, in which someone appears to use the word "s***". Cunningham asked how he could secure an apology from the Home Secretary for “his appalling insult and foul language” about his seat in the north east.

Commons Deputy Speaker Dame Eleanor Laing said it was her understanding that Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle “didn’t hear any remark of the kind from the chair at the time when the honourable gentleman was asking his question”.

She said: “I understand that the alleged words were not actually used, though I appreciate what (Mr Cunningham) says. But I think we all know that it’s very difficult in the noisy atmosphere of Prime Minister’s Questions to discern exactly what someone says. So I can make no judgment here from the chair as to what was or wasn’t said.”

She said she understood Cunningham’s concern and added: “I would remind all honourable members of the need for good temper and moderation in the language they use in this chamber.”

It's the second "s***"-related scandal Cleverly has been involved in since becoming Home Secretary just over a week ago. Yvette Cooper, his Labour shadow, accused Cleverly of not really believing in the Rwanda scheme, alleging that he once described it in private as “batshit”.

The Home Secretary did not flat out deny saying it, instead telling Sky News: “I don’t recognise that phrase, and the point that I’ve made, and the point I made at the despatch box, is that the Rwanda scheme is an important part – but only a part – of the range of responses we have to illegal migration.”

In response to Cunningham's question, Sunak said: “It’s this government that has ensured that across our country 1.7 million fewer people are living in… poverty as a result of the actions of this government.”

Cunningham could then be heard calling out “it’s not true” to the Prime Minister. Sunak went on: “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 to grow up with parents in work. And because of the actions of previous governments, several hundred thousand more families are in that position.”