Angela Rayner has hit back at those who have critiqued her accent and grammar following recent appearances in the media.
The deputy leader of the Labour Party – who was born, raised, and educated in the Greater Manchester borough of Stockport – first addressed MPs in the House of Commons yesterday, before making a number of media appearances, both last night and this morning, to address the growing national concerns over the garden party hosed at 10 Downing Street on 20 May 2020, and whether Prime Minister Boris Johnson was in attendance.
Ms Rayner told MPs in the House of Commons yesterday that she was disappointed that Mr Johnson was not there in person to respond to the claims, but said that “his absence speaks volumes, as do his smirks on the media”.
“He can run, but he can’t hide,” she added.
Following her Commons address and appearances on BBC News, Sky News, ITV News, and Good Morning Britain, Ms Rayner said she has received critiques of her Greater Manchester accent and grammar, and so she took to Twitter to address it.
Hitting back at her critics in a now-viral tweet this morning, the deputy Labour leader wrote: “I wasn’t Eton educated, but growing up in Stockport I was taught integrity, honesty and decency.
“Doesn’t mater how you say it. Boris Johnson is unfit to lead.”
I've been on the media this morning so my accent and grammar are being critiqued.
I wasn't Eton educated, but growing up in Stockport I was taught integrity, honesty and decency.
Doesn't mater how you say it. Boris Johnson is unfit to lead.
The tweet has gone on to amass thousands of likes, retweets, and comments from people showing their support for the Aston-under-Lyne MP.
Ms Rayner’s comments came before this afternoon’s Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs).
They, of course, also come after on Monday, ITV published a leaked email from Mr Johnson’s principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds, which appeared to invite 100 staff to “socially distanced drinks in the No 10 garden” at a time when lockdown rules in England banned large outdoor gatherings from taking place.
The invitation encouraged people to “make the most of the lovely weather” after what had been an “incredibly busy period”.
Although it is still currently unconfirmed, witnesses have told media outlets – including the BBC – that the Prime Minister and his wife Carrie were among the roughly 30 people who attended the drinks party that evening.
EXCL: Email obtained by @itvnews proves over 100 staff were invited to drinks party in No 10 garden at height of lockdown to “make the most of the lovely weather”.
The Prime Minister has today confirmed his attendance at the event and has publicly apologised to MPs during PMQs, saying that he “takes responsibility” for the gathering.
Yet he said he believed it was “a work event”, and in hindsight, should have sent everyone back inside.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he feels the Prime Minister’s apology is “worthless”, and described his excuse as “ridiculous” and “insulting” to the British public who have had to make so many sacrifices over the last two years.
Mr Johnson said that he knows people up and down the country “made huge sacrifices” and he understands “the anger and the rage they feel”.
But Starmer then questioned whether the Prime Minister would “do the decent thing” and resign.
At present, an inquiry being lead by senior civil servant Sue Gray is under way into the drinks party and the number of other gatherings that were said to have taken place on government premises during the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020.
Featured Image – Parliament TV
News
‘Dazzling’ Victorian silver sculpture goes on public display in Greater Manchester after fears it was lost
Emily Sergeant
A long-lost masterpiece of Victorian silverwork has been saved and is now on display to the public in Greater Manchester.
Anyone taking a trip over to the National Trust’s historic Dunham Massey property, on the border of Greater Manchester into Cheshire, this summer will get to see the ‘dazzling’ sculpture called Stags in Bradgate Park – which was commissioned by a former owner in a defiant gesture to the society that shunned him.
The dramatic sculpture of two rutting Red Deer stags, commissioned in 1855 by George Harry Grey, 7th Earl of Stamford, was said to be an ‘act of love and rebellion’.
It also serves as a symbol of ‘locking horns’ with the society that ostracised him over his marriage to a woman considered ‘beneath him’.
“This isn’t just silver – it’s a story,” says James Rothwell, who is the National Trust‘s curator for decorative arts.
“A story of a man who fell in love with a woman that society deemed unworthy. When the Earl married Catherine Cox, whose colourful past was said to have included performing in a circus, Victorian high society was scandalised. Even Queen Victoria shunned the couple at the opera and local gentry at the horse races in Cheshire turned their backs on them.”
Modelled by Alfred Brown and crafted by royal goldsmiths Hunt & Roskell, Stags in Bradgate Park is a meticulously-detailed depiction of nature, and was considered a ‘sensation’ in its day.
Showing the rutting deer positioned on a rocky outcrop with gnarled hollow oaks, it graced the pages of the Illustrated London News, was exhibited at the London International Exhibition of 1862, and at the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1867 – both of which were events that drew millions of visitors.
A ‘dazzling’ Victorian silver sculpture has gone on public display in Greater Manchester / Credit: Joe Wainwright | James Dobson (via Supplied)
The silver centrepiece was the celebrity art of its time, paraded through streets and admired by the public like no other.
Gradually over the years, some of the Earl of Stamford’s silver collection has been re-acquired for Dunham Massey, and this particular world-renowned sculpture, thought to be lost for decades and feared to have been melted down, has miraculously survived with its ‘dramatic’ central component being all that is left.
“The sculpture is not only a technical marvel, with its lifelike depiction of Bradgate Park’s rugged landscape and wildlife, but also a dramatic human story key to the history of Dunham Massey,” added Emma Campagnaro, who is the Property Curator at Dunham Massey.
“It speaks of nature, of craftsmanship, and of a couple who chose each other over status and what others thought of them.”
The sculpture has now gone on display at Dunham Massey from Thursday 26 June.
Featured Image – James Dobson (via Supplied)
News
Lewis Capaldi announces MASSIVE comeback gig in Manchester this year
Thomas Melia
Everyone’s favourite Scottish ballad-maker, Lewis Capaldi, is heading out on tour across the UK, including a massive Manchester date.
Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi is ready to tug at our heartstrings again right in front of our eyes as he announces a new UK arena tour.
This huge announcement comes right after his surprise set at the UK’s biggest music event of the year, Glastonbury, where he made a heroic return to the Pyramid Stage just two years after being forced to pull out.
Capaldi is known for writing some of the most notable and emotive hits of the late 2010s and early 2020s, including a long list of anthems such as ‘Someone You Loved’, ‘Bruises’ and ‘Before You Go’.
His monster of a hit ‘Someone You Loved’ has surpassed 3.9 billion views and is the UK’s most-streamed song of all time, so it is safe to say that his presence has been well and truly missed.
To many fans’ delight, the singer has stepped back into the spotlight and is ready to sing his heart out live at a variety of arenas across the UK, including Co-op Live right here in Manchester.
Now, in a post on his official Instagram account announcing this upcoming UK and Ireland arena tour, it’s good to see the Scottish powerhouse hasn’t lost his wit and charm as he jokes, “About time I got back to work.”
These shows are set to be in high demand as the singer has also revealed these upcoming dates, “Will be my only shows in the UK, Ireland or Europe this year! Would love to see ya there.”
On the back of his glorious Glasto return, Capaldi has dropped a huge heart-wrencher titled ‘Survive’ which offers more insight into the struggles and challenges the singer has been facing.
There is no confirmation of whether this new single marks the launch of a bigger project or not, but we can’t wait to scream his hits at the top of our lungs, regardless of when he pays Manchester a visit later this year.
Emily Sergeant -
12th January 2022 
