Sharon Stone

Boris Johnson has contacted Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner to make clear he views claims about her in a Sunday newspaper misogynistic.

Politicians have condemned the suggestion Ms Rayner tries to distract the Prime Minister in The Commons by crossing and uncrossing her Legs .

Said some unnamed Conservative MPs had made The Claim .

Ms Rayner dismissed this as a " perverted smear" that showed women in politics faced misogyny Every Day .

On Sunday Mr Johnson " As much as I disagree with Angela Rayner on almost every political issue, I respect her as a parliamentarian and deplore the misogyny directed at her anonymously today. "

A Downing Street source confirmed to The Bbc that the Prime Minister had contacted Ms Rayner privately by text message to reiterate what He Said in his public tweet.

A raft of politicians, including female Tory MPs, have spoken out in support of her.

Conservative Caroline Nokes Said too many female MPs of all parties had been " on receiving end of vile articles" while former minister Andrea Leadsom tweeted: " Really sorry Angela. Totally unacceptable comments and reporting. "

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer Said : " The sexism and misogyny peddled by the Tories is a disgraceful New Low from a party mired in scandal and chaos. "

The Mail on Sunday is not commenting.

The Article - which has now been changed to headline on deputy Labour leader Ms Rayner's response on Twitter - quoted unnamed Conservative MPs claiming she would cross and uncross her Legs when opposite the PM at the dispatch box in The Commons to distract him.

A host of MPs have since come out to not only condemn the suggestion made but also the tone of the newspaper's reporting.

And Ms Nokes - who chairs The Women and equalities Committee - confirmed on Twitter that she had contacted The Commons Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle , to ask if the political editor who wrote the piece should have a press pass for Parliament.

The newspaper Article Said : " Tory MPs have mischievously suggested that Ms Rayner likes to distract the PM when he is in the dispatch box by deploying a fully-clothed Parliamentary equivalent of Sharon Stone 's infamous scene in the 1992 film Basic Instinct . "

The Paper added: " It is also suggested she employs the tactic when sitting next to Sir Keir when he faces Mr Johnson at PMQs".

The piece quotes one MP as saying: " She knows she can't compete with Boris's Oxford Union debating training, but she has other skills which he lacks.

" She has admitted as much when enjoying drinks With Us on the [Commons] terrace. "

The Article also described the Labour MP's background as " a grandmother who left school at 16 while pregnant and with no qualifications before becoming a care worker".

Ms Rayner condemned the Article as " gutter journalism" and accused the sources of " spreading desperate, perverted smears in their doomed attempts to save [Mr Johnson's] skin"

She added: " I won't be letting their vile lies deter me. Their attempts to harass and intimidate me will fail.

" I hope this experience doesn't put off a single person Like Me , with a background like mine from aspiring to participate in public life. That would break my heart. "

The report led to a huge backlash on Social Media and support for the Labour deputy leader.

Scotland's First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: " Solidarity from across the political divide to Angela Rayner on this.

" It's a reminder of The Deep misogyny women face Every Day . "

Liberal Democrat MP Munira Wilson described it as a " disgraceful story" saying: " I can't even believe it made it into print. "

Labour's shadow leader of The Commons , Thangam Debbonaire , added: " This all shows we need more women in politics and that when we work together, We Are mighty and fearsome and some pathetic men feel threatened by it. "

Source of news: bbc.com