Wes Streeting caught calling Jeremy Corbyn 'senile' in Commons

Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting has apologised after he was caught calling Jeremy Corbyn "senile" in a hot mic moment at the House of Commons.

The former Labour leader attempted to raise a point of order in the Chamber after the prime minister again attacked him during Prime Minister's Questions for the third week running.

Mr Streeting's remark came as Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle rejected Mr Corbyn's request to raise a complaint after PMQs and moments before Mr Sunak was scheduled to make a statement on COP27.

An MP can be heard saying "Jeremy...", before Sir Lindsay asks: "What's he saying?"

"He's gone senile," replied Mr Streeting, who was sitting on the front bench close to Sir Lindsay.

Mr Streeting later insisted he made the comment as a joke but accepted it was "in poor taste".

After being called out for his remark on Twitter, Mr Streeting replied: "In jest, but I accept in poor taste.

"I’ve dropped Jeremy a note directly to apologise for any offence caused."

Wes Streeting was caught on microphone in the Commons calling Jeremy Corbyn 'senile'

It came after Mr Sunak hit out at Sir Keir Starmer during PMQs for supporting Mr Corbyn when he was leader of the Labour Party, as he faced a grilling over his decision to reappoint then-twice sacked minister Sir Gavin Williamson, who quit last night over a series of bullying accusations.

Mr Corbyn later had the opportunity to address the prime minister and told Mr Sunak he is grateful for his “continued rent-free tenancy” in his head.

The ex-Labour leader, who now sits as an independent MP, told the Commons: “I’m grateful for my continued rent-free tenancy in the prime minister’s head but if he could just let me know when he intends to speak about me that’d be helpful.

"That’s the norm in the House."

Last week, Mr Corbyn hit out at the PM's "wholly inaccurate representation" of his 2019 agenda on national security during PMQs.

The MP asked Mr Sunak to correct the record and to “accurately reflect” his views rather than deliver “inventions made up by him or his office”.

On Wednesday, Mr Sunak claimed Mr Corbyn’s “national security agenda” included “abolishing our armed forces, scrapping the nuclear deterrent, withdrawing from Nato, voting against every single anti-terror law we tried, and befriending Hamas and Hezbollah”.

But Mr Corbyn said Mr Sunak gave him no advance notice of the plan to reference him at PMQs and noted this was against the conventions of the House.

Mr Corbyn told deputy speaker Nigel Evans in the Commons: "He gave a wholly inaccurate representation of the 2019 election manifesto, which he must have been fully well aware of because he took part in many debates concerning the content of that manifesto during the election campaign."Could you guide me on how the prime minister could correct the record?

"And if I'm going to live rent free in his head, at least he could accurately reflect what I think and what I say rather than inventions made up by him or his office."

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...

Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt recognised the need for MPs to give each other notice about plans to reference them in their speeches - but said the ex-Labour leader should be prepared for his manifesto to be "mentioned on at least a weekly basis".

“If he’d like to help correct the record he could publish the manifesto that he stood on, which would have weakened this country and dismantled Nato," Ms Mordaunt said.

Mr Corbyn replied: “The manifesto is freely available.

“Had it resulted in a Labour government we would not have such poverty, such food banks and such misery in this country today.”