Wes Streeting apologises to fellow MP Jeremy Corbyn after branding him ‘senile’ during Commons debate
- Mr Streeting was forced to apologies after being heard calling Mr Corbyn ‘senile’
- A microphone in the Commons picked up the Labour frontbencher’s comment
- Mr Corbyn noted the apology but said there’s nothing ‘in jest’ about the remark
Labour frontbencher Wes Streeting was forced to apologise to Jeremy Corbyn yesterday after he was caught calling the former party leader ‘senile’.
The Labour health spokesman’s remark was picked up on a microphone in the Commons as Mr Corbyn, who now sits as an independent MP, tried to raise a point of order.
Mr Streeting – an outspoken critic of Mr Corbyn’s tenure as leader – said he meant it ‘in jest’ and had written to him to apologise. Mr Corbyn said he had noted the apology but added: ‘There’s nothing ‘in jest’ about calling somebody senile.’
Wes Streeting (pictured) apologised to Jemery Corbyn for calling the ex-Labour leader ‘senile’
The incident happened when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was about to make a statement on his visit to the Cop27 climate summit after Prime Minister’s Questions had finished.
Mr Corbyn, who sits as an independent MP after having the Labour whip removed for refusing to accept the scale of anti-Semitism in the party during his tenure, tried to intervene.
He was rebuked by Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, who said: ‘Points of order come after the statements.’
But Mr Corbyn protested and during the confusion Mr Streeting was heard muttering: ‘He’s gone senile.’
Columnist Owen Jones branded the remark ‘gross’.
And Labour councillor Martin Abrams tweeted: ‘Why is the shadow secretary of state for health joking about dementia?’
In his apology, Mr Streeting wrote: ‘I’ve dropped Jeremy a note directly to apologise for any offence caused.’
But in a statement, Mr Corbyn said: ‘Today, following a request to make a point of order, I was subjected to an appalling and defamatory mental health slur in the Chamber.
Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) said he had noted the apology but added: ‘There’s nothing ‘in jest’ about calling somebody senile’
‘I have now received an apology, and I have noted it. As I said in my reply, there’s nothing “in-jest” about calling somebody senile. It’s not funny.
‘It’s very serious for people suffering from dementia. He should know this as Shadow Health Secretary.
‘The right thing for somebody in his position to do would be to issue a public apology to all those who may have been hurt by his comments.’
Mr Streeting has a history of having to issue apologies following gaffes.
In June he apologised for abusive historic tweets about Daily Mail columnist Jan Moir.
Posted in October 2009, one said: ‘There would be nothing natural about Jan Moir’s death if I shoved the bigoted old bag under a train.’
Another said: ‘Considering starting my own vigilante org to push nasty people under trains.’
Mr Streeting also apologised in February for making a jibe about mass-murdering GP Harold Shipman in the Commons.
The frontbencher mentioned Shipman after former PM Boris Johnson had asked the public to show personal responsibility in dealing with Covid-19 during the pandemic.
‘Lectures from you [Mr Johnson] on personal responsibility? What next? Harold Shipman on medical ethics?!’, Mr Streeting was heard saying.
He later accepted it ‘wasn’t in good taste’.
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