Angela Rayner has hit back at critics of her night out in Ibiza, telling them: “I’m working class, I like a dance.”
A video of the deputy prime minister in a DJ booth at a top nightclub went viral last week.
Among her critics were former Tory MP Nadine Dorries, who said it was “ill-judged” and “utterly adolescent”.
On Sky News this morning, Rayner was asked by presenter Kay Burley what she made of the criticism she had received.
She replied: “Well I was on holiday for a couple of days. You can criticise my dancing, it is subjective.
“I take my job really seriously, and I’m always in parliament and I’m always doing what needs to be done and I’ll continue to do that.
“I just think everybody has got to have down time. I do take my job really seriously and I like to talk about what I’m doing to help other people.
“I’m working class, I like a dance, I like dance music. I got criticised for going to the opera if you remember - I was a champagne socialise for going to the theatre.”
Rayner also agreed with Burley that women in politics get judged more harshly than men.
“The day I walked into No.10 ... for someone from my background to walk down that famous street and go into No.10 was an incredible moment,” she said.
“But there was so much more commentary on what I was wearing. I came off my council estate, I’ve worked really hard, I brought my child up when I was 16 and I’ve worked my way to being respected to get to this position and show that I’ve got worth in what I’m doing and you’re talking about what dress or jacket I’m wearing.
“I’m trying to do a job for people and that distracts sometimes and it’s frustrating. Let’s talk about the substance.”