Owen Smith: Labour leadership hopeful criticised for 'smash May back on her heels' comment

Labour leadership challenger Owen Smith has been heavily criticised for calling on his party to "smash" Prime Minister Theresa May "back on her heels".

Smith said he was upset that the current divisions within Labour under Jeremy Corbyn meant "we didn't have the strength and the power and the vitality to smash her back on her heels".

The comments immediately sparked accusations of sexism and misogyny.

Smith defended his choice of words, telling journalists he "didn't literally want to Smash May back" and that he was not advocating violence.

Instead, he said "it was a piece of rhetoric from me and we should be smashing the Tories back on their heels".

But that did not stop criticism on social media.

The Pontypridd MP has since admitted to ITV News' deputy political editor Chris Ship that "perhaps it backfired".

ITV News asked members of the public in a nearby department store what they thought about the language used by the Labour leadership challenger, with two describing it as "aggressive".

Owen Smith was setting out his vision for the country in South Yorkshire, where he vowed to "smash" austerity by taxing the rich, and improving pay levels and workers' rights if he becomes prime minister.