Keir Starmer has slammed claims that Angela Rayner tries to distract the prime minister with her legs as “rank sexism, rank misogyny”.
The Labour leader praised his deputy as a “fantastic woman and formidable politician” who “shouldn’t have to put up with” misogyny.
The Mail on Sunday reported that some unnamed Conservative MPs claimed that Rayner had tried to put Boris Johnson “off his stride” in the Commons by crossing and uncrossing her legs.
They accused her of using the ploy from the Sharon Stone film Basic Instinct during their clashes at Prime Minister’s Questions.
Asked about the story on ITV’s This Morning, Starmer said: “Well, I saw the Angela Rayner story as everybody did, and its rank sexism, rank misogyny.
“You had an Angela on just the other week — she’s a fantastic woman, formidable woman, brilliant politician.
“I spoke to her yesterday morning just to see how she was, and she was just really disgusted that all of her political attributes were put aside for this ridiculous, offensive story, and Angela shouldn’t have to put up with that.”
The article was condemned across the political divide, with Conservative chair of the women and equalities committee Caroline Nokes calling it a “dirty little story” that should make the Tory MPs “hang their heads in shame”.
Johnson himself tweeted that he “deplored” the misogyny that had been directed at her from one of his own MPs.
It is understood the prime minister also contacted Rayner privately by text message to reiterate what he said in his public tweet.
It came as the Sunday Times reported that three Cabinet ministers and two Shadow Cabinet ministers are facing allegations of sexual misconduct.
Starmer said the independent investigation should be allowed to “take its course” but was in no doubt that Westminster was “sexist” and “misogynistic” and that “whole culture of the place needs to change”.
Following the publication of the Mail on Sunday article, Rayner hit back with a statement in which she said would “not be letting their vile lies deter me”.
She added: “Their attempts to harass and intimidate me will fail.”
Starmer - who has had a fractious relationship with Rayner in the past - admitted that his party had failed to produce a female Labour prime minister.
But he said if Labour won the next election, Rayner would be a Labour deputy prime minister.
“I’d love to see her as deputy prime minister — she’ll be absolutely brilliant,” he said.