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Angela Rayner Rebuked By Keir Starmer

Angela Rayner rebuked by Keir Starmer for branding Tories ‘scum’

Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner was rebuked by Sir Keir Starmer on Sunday after she described senior Tories as “scum”.

She made the controversial remarks during a fringe event at around 9.15pm on Saturday, the opening day of the party’s five-day conference in Brighton.

“We cannot get any worse than a bunch of scum, homophobic, racist, mysoginistic, absolute pile … of banana republic… Etonian… piece of scum,” she told activists, according to the Daily Mirror.

Sir Keir Starmer sought to distance himself from her intervention, which appeared to refer to Boris Johnson and his Conservative Government.

The Labour leader said he and his deputy “take different approaches”, telling the BBC: “That’s not the language that I would use.”

He said he would speak to her about the episode, but insisted it was a matter for her whether she apologised.

The row erupted ahead of Labour shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves setting out the party’s tax plans on Monday, with proposals to overhaul the business rates system and review a thousand current tax reliefs, with a view to scrapping those deemed unfair and inefficient.

Allies of Sir Keir warned that Ms Rayner’s remarks risked overshadowing such policy interventions, arguing that while her comments played well with elements of the party base, they detracted from Labour’s messaging and alienated the wider public.

Tories condemn ‘appalling’ remarks

Senior Conservatives weighed in to condemn the remarks, branding them “appalling”, as they demanded the deputy Labour leader show contrition for her language.

Some members of the shadow cabinet were also forthright in suggesting she should say sorry. Lucy Powell, shadow housing secretary, said Ms Rayner should “probably” apologise, telling LBC: “Once you realise you’ve caused offence and overstepped the mark, the right thing to do is to be clear about that.”

The deputy Labour leader stood firm, however, and said the remarks were made at a “post-watershed” reception and amounted to a bid to express her “anger and frustration” with the Prime Minister and his Cabinet.

She said she would apologise only if Mr Johnson said sorry for past comments that she described as homophobic, racist and misogynistic.

In the past Mr Johnson has made a series of outspoken comments that have elicited censure, including comparing Muslim women in burqas to “letter boxes” and describing black people as “piccaninnies”. He has said he used such phrases in a satirical sense.

Rayner doubles down

Doubling down on her comments on Sunday, Ms Rayner told Sky News: “Anyone who leaves children hungry during a pandemic and can give billions of pounds to their mates on WhatsApp, I think that was pretty scummy.”

The Ashton-under-Lyne MP said she had simply deployed the “street language” of her northern working-class roots.

Members of the Government reacted with outrage at the remarks. Foreign Office minister James Cleverly accused her of “talking c–p” about the Conservatives, pointing out the party had two female former prime ministers and now boasts the “most diverse” government.

Oliver Dowden, the Conservative Party chairman, said: “At a time when the country is trying to pull together to recover from Covid, the last thing we need is the deputy leader of the Labour Party calling people ‘scum’ and yelling insults.”

He added: “We need to make politics better, not drag it into the gutter. Let’s see if we get an apology.”

Calls for apology

Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, said Ms Rayner’s verbal attack was “absolutely appalling”, telling Sky News: “There’s no place in public life for that sort of language, that sort of behaviour.”

Pressure grew on Ms Rayner to apologise after long-serving Tory MP James Gray said sorry on Sunday for making a “foolish remark”, after it emerged he had told a WhatsApp group of MPs that a bomb should be planted in Labour chairman Anneliese Dodd’s office.

Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell defended Ms Rayner, suggesting she should not have used the language she did but that “deep down she’s expressing the anger many of us feel”.

“We’ve all been there, late at night, getting very angry about what’s going on. What I like about Angie Rayner is that she’s human,” Mr McDonnell told Sky News.

The left-wing MP previously sparked uproar after suggesting former Tory work and pensions secretary Esther McVey should be “lynched” while referring to her as a “b——” at a 2014 comedy night.

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EFCC arraigns one for suspected internet fraud in Uyo

The Uyo Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned Omereonye Solomon Chigozie (a.k.a Kolor Cabiek Ye) before Justice Maurine A. Oyetenu of the Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State for alleged internet fraud to the tune of $1,500 ( One Thousand Five Hundred United States Dollars).

He was arraigned on Thursday, March 20, 2025 on a two-count charge bordering on impersonation, possession of fictitious messages and obtaining by false pretence through a fictitious Facebook account: “Kolor Cabiek Ye”.

One of the charges reads, “That you Omereonye Solomon Chigozie (a.k.a Kolor Cabiek Ye) Sometime between 2019 and 2024 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this honourable court with intent to obtain property and gain advantage fraudulently presented yourself as Kolor Cabiek Ye on social media platform (Facebook) and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 22 (2)(b) (i) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) (Amendment) Act 2024 and punishable under Section 22(2) (b) (iv) of the scime Act”.

Count two reads “That you Chigozie Omereonye Solomon (aka Kolor Cabiek Ye) sometime between 2019 and 2024 in Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable court did take possession of the sum of $1500 (One Thousand, Five Hundred United States Dollars) while impersonating Kolor Cabiek Ye on Facebook which you reasonably ought to have known forms proceeds of an unlawful act and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 18 (2) (d) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022 and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act”.

Chigozie pleaded not guilty to both counts when they were read to him.

In view of his plea, prosecution counsel, Enobong Ubokudom prayed the court to fix a date for commencement of trial and remand him in a Correctional Centre. Defence counsel, Ikwere Davies did not oppose the prayers.

Justice Onyetenu adjourned the matter to May 22, 2025 for trial and ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Correctional Centre, Uyo.

Chigozie was arrested in Uyo on October 3, 2024 on credible intelligence regarding his suspicious activities on the internet. Investigations showed that he impersonated foreigners to defraud his victims across the world.

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Catholic priest kidnapped in Imo

A Catholic priest identified as Rev. Fr. John Ubaechu, has been abducted by unknown gunmen along Ejemekwuru road in Oguta Local Government Area of Imo state.

According to a statement signed by the Secretary of the Catholic Archdiocese of Owerri Reverend Father Patrick Mbarah, the priest was kidnapped on Sunday March 23rd, 2025 on his way to the Priests’ Annual retreat.

The Archdiocese called on all Christian faithful and all men and women of goodwill to earnestly pray for the quick and safe release of the priest.

Meanwhile the Imo State Police Command through its spokesman Henry Okoye said the Commissioner of Police, Danjuma Aboki, has launched an investigation into the incident and has directed an intelligence led operation for the possible rescue and release of the priest unconditionally.

He urged the general public to help the police with any useful information that might aid the work of the police in securing the release of the abducted priest.

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Fubara denies links with militants

Suspended Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has refuted allegations linking him with militant groups, dismissing recent social media posts and videos as fake and malicious attempts to incite tension in the state.

In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, the Fubara condemned the circulation of fabricated videos purportedly depicting explosions at oil and gas facilities in the state.

The statement clarified that affected communities have debunked the claims, assuring that all critical infrastructure remains intact and operational.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Siminalayi Fubara has no link to any militant group, does not contemplate any such association, and has no reason to encourage any criminal elements to undertake actions that threaten peace, security, or the economy,” the statement read.

Fubara restated his commitment to maintaining peace in Rivers State, emphasising that governance and development can only thrive in a stable environment.

He also warned against attempts to exploit the state’s ongoing political crisis for ulterior motives.

Fubara further cautioned bloggers and social media influencers against spreading false information, stating that their actions could escalate tensions and disrupt stability.

He urged security agencies to investigate and take decisive action against those responsible for spreading misinformation.

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