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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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Those found guilty of corruption should not enjoy pardon —AGF

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), has stated that those found guilty of corruption should not be granted state pardons. He also advised law enforcement agencies to avoid shoddy investigations, urging them to have all necessary facts before summoning individuals for questioning.

The AGF made these remarks at a roundtable organized by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for state Attorneys-General in Abuja on Monday. “I will suggest in our next constitution review exercise that we expunge those found guilty of corruption from benefiting from powers of ‘Prerogative of Mercy’ to serve as a deterrent to others,” he said.

In a statement by Kamarudeen Ogundele, Special Assistant to the President on Communication and Publicity, Office of the AGF and Minister of Justice, Fagbemi emphasized the importance of cooperation from all stakeholders, particularly the Attorneys-General, in the fight against corruption. He urged them to avoid nepotism, political witch-hunting, rivalry, and bigotry in their efforts to fight corruption merely to please their governors.

The minister further stated that there should be no justification for rationalizing corruption or other crimes. He advised that legal opinions on cases should be based strictly on facts, as is the practice in advanced countries, adding, “We should not give in to public sentiments. In Nigeria, we are polarised along political lines.”

The AGF also urged participants and anti-graft agencies to conduct thorough investigations before arresting suspects to prevent unnecessary media trials. “Let us be thorough and take our time before inviting someone for questioning. Don’t do a shoddy job and be quick to say we have caught a big fish…You will catch a big fish. If it is two or three big fish you are able to get in a year and you are thorough, it is alright,” he stated.

Additionally, Fagbemi advised against filing exaggerated or bogus charges against defendants to create public frenzy. He said, “Nobody wants a 50-count charge…make it five or six and be sure. Make sure you get him (suspect) in.”

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Tinubu condoles with families of victims, Niger govt over traffic petrol tanker explosion

President Bola Tinubu has sent heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Niger State on the petrol tanker explosion on the Bida-Agaie-Lapai- road on Sunday in Niger State, which claimed the lives of 48 people and livestock.

According to the Niger Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), many people were injured in the accident, which also involved a truck loaded with cattle and passengers.

President Tinubu commiserated with the families of the dead and injured victims. He also sympathised with the owners of shops affected by the tragedy.

He prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

The President commended the federal and state emergency agencies for their swift response. He similarly commended the good-spirited Nigerians who mobilised to the incident scene to assist the victims.

He pledged continued support for efforts aimed at providing relief to those affected.

President Tinubu has directed relevant federal agencies in transportation and road infrastructure to redouble their efforts and work with state governments to enhance the safety and security of travellers and residents.

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Nigerian businessman Ogionwo charged for $300,000 scam in Oil deal

The Inspector General of Police, through legal officer S.O. Ayodele from the Federal Criminal Investigation Department, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos, has filed a two-count charge of obtaining money by false pretenses and theft against Nigerian businessman Ebi Otisaye Ogionwo.

In the charges presented before the Federal High Court in Lagos, Ayodele alleges that in 2022, Ogionwo fraudulently obtained $300,000 from Mr. Oluwatosin Adefila of Beltzemo Nigeria Limited. The funds were purportedly meant to finance an oil trading business, but this representation was false.

The charges against Ogionwo are in violation of Section 1 (1) (c) and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006.

The two count charge as filed before the court

Count one:

That you, Ebi Otsaye Ogionwo “M” sometimes in 2022,in Lagos, within the Judicial Division of this Honorable Court, did by false pretence and with intent to defraud obtained the sum of Three Hundred Thousand Dollars (S300,000:00) from one Mr. Oluwatosin Adefila of Boltzemo Nigeria Limited under the guise of using the said funds for financing Oil Trading Business, a representation you knew to be false and thereby committed an offer contrary to Section 1(1)(c) and punishable under section 1(3) of the Advance Fec,raud and other Related Offences Act 2006, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria.

Count two:

That you Ebi Otsaye Ogionwo “M” on the same date, time and place, and in the aforementioned Judicial Division of the Federal High Court, did steal the sum of Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000.00) from one Mr.Oluwatosin Adefila of Belztzemo Nigeria Limited and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 383 and punishable under section 390 (9) of the Criminal Code Act,Cap C 38,Laws of the Federation of Nigeria,2004.

Meanwhile, 14th of October, 2024 has been fixed for the arraignment of the defendant.