Sources close to Dominic Raab have spoken out in attempt to explain his controversial wink at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs).
During what was an eventful PMQs yesterday – which saw Deputy Prime Minister, Dominic Raab, and Deputy Leader of the Labour Party at MP for Ashton-under-Lyne, Angela Rayner, go head to head in the House of Commons in Boris Johnson’s absence – Raab was caught winking from the dispatch box in what appeared to be Rayner’s direction.
Not long after the wink was captured by television cameras, it was shared to Twitter and the social media platform soon became flooded with accusations of misogyny and calling the Deputy PM out on his “sexism”.
Mr Perkins said: “I will never unsee Dominic Raab’s wink from the despatch box at Angela Rayner. I feel soiled,” and Angela Rayner responded to this statement in a now-viral tweet saying: “Imagine how I feel”.
The controversial wink followed an exchange in which Mr Raab accused Ms Rayner for dodging a question on last week’s national rail strikes, saying that she apparently “flip-flopped” in her position on the RMT Union’s industrial action.
Mr Raab said: “She was asked by the BBC, straight question, she’s usually a straight-shooting politician, ‘do you like the RMT?’ she said ‘I’m going to have to go now, I’ve got a train to catch’.”
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In response to an attack from Ms Rayner over his previous stance on food banks, the Deputy PM said: “If the Labour Party, if she wants to help working people, they should be clear in standing up against these militant, reckless strikes.”
He added: “She talks about working people. Where was she when the comrades were on the picket line last Thursday? Where was she when the Labour frontbench were joining them rather than standing up for the public? She was at the Glyndebourne music festival sipping champagne, listening to opera.
“Champagne socialism is back in the Labour Party.”
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Laughter was then heard throughout the chamber for a number of seconds following this claim, and Mr Raab was seen winking in the direction of Labour’s frontbench.
Angela Rayner during yesterday’s PMQs in the House of Commons / Credit: Parliament TV
“Sexism and classism all in one foul swoop,” one person said of the wink on Twitter.
Another Twitter user labelled the wink as “disgusting sexism”, and someone else asked if Speaker Lindsay Hoyle would “be having words and reminding MPs that such sexism is not allowed in the chamber”.
After continuous calls for Mr Raab to address the controversial situation and explain his actions, the Deputy PM’s team have now spoken out to insist that he was not winking at Angela Rayner and say he was actually winking at shadow Scottish secretary, Ian Murray.
Apparently, according to a source, they claimed that off camera, Mr Murray made a comment that was inaudible to those watching on TV home, in which he “muttered it would be ‘no bad thing’ if Angela Rayner stood for leader of the Labour Party”, ITV News reports.
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Mr Raab’s wink was then allegedly in response to Mr Murray’s remark, but some social media users have questioned this explanation, with one person on Twitter highlighting that: “The comment about her running for leader wasn’t in that clip when he winked, so can’t have been in response to it.”
Ms Rayner has since received praise from supporters for her performance at PMQs yesterday.
Featured Image – Parliament TV
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Full list of road closures set to be in place for Manchester Day 2024
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Day is back for 2024 this weekend, and the full list of road closures set to be in place has been confirmed.
Now that schools are officially out across Greater Manchester, and the summer holidays are well and truly here, the hugely-popular Manchester Day is making a return once again this Saturday 27 July, and as always, it’s set to be “the day summer officially starts” in the city centre – with a massive celebration of “all things Mancunian” on the cards.
The theme of this year’s annual event is ‘Let The Games Begin’, and it’s inspired by the international summer of sport, just 2024 Olympics kicks off over in Paris.
The day will be packed full of free events and activities to get involved with.
Some city centre roads will be closed on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 July for Manchester Day.
These will include:
🛣️Deansgate 🛣️St Ann Street 🛣️St Mary’s Gate 🛣️Market Street 🛣️King Street
— Manchester City Council (@ManCityCouncil) July 21, 2024
But of course, in order for the all the fun to go ahead as safely as possible, and as tends to be the case for events like these, Manchester City Council says it will need to make some temporary road closures to facilitate it.
The full list of road closures has now been confirmed by the Council, and there’s some major city centre thoroughfares set to be out of action.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Manchester Day is back for 2024 to celebrate the international summer of sport / Credit: Manchester City Council
Manchester Day 2024 – Road Closures
Saturday 27 July
From 6am to 11:59pm, Manchester City Council has confirmed that the following roads will be closed:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street) – access will be maintained to Marks and Spencer’s car park and Number One Deansgate.
St Ann Street (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street (Cross Street to Deansgate) – no access for deliveries.
All accessible bays, bus lanes, and taxi ranks within the closed areas will also be suspended during from 6pm on Friday 26 July to 11:59pm on Saturday 27 July.
The parking suspensions set to be in place are:
Deansgate (Manchester Cathedral to John Dalton Street)
St Ann Street – including the bays outside St Ann’s Church (Deansgate to Cross Street)
St Mary’s Gate (Exchange Street to Deansgate)
St Mary’s Street (Southbridge Street to Deansgate)
Southgate (St Mary’s Street to King Street West)
Market Street (Exchange Street to Cross Street)
Fennel Street (Corporation Street to Cathedral Street) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cathedral Street (Fennel Street to Exchange Square) – access will be maintained for morning deliveries only.
Cateaton Street (Exchange Square to Deansgate)
Victoria Street (Cathedral Approach to Deansgate)
Todd Street (Corporation Street to Station Approach)
King Street (Spring Gardens to Southgate)
South King Street (Ridgefield to Deansgate)
Barton Square (St Ann’s Square to St Ann Street)
King Street West (Deansgate to St Mary’s Parsonage)
St James’s Square (John Dalton Street to South King Street)
Cross Street (King Street to Corporation Street)
Museum Street (Peter Street to Windmill Street)
Marsden Street (Cheapside to Brown Street)
Manchester Day 2024: Let The Games Begin! will take over the city centre on Saturday 27 July from 12pm-6pm.
Check out everything you need to know ahead of the event here.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete
Emily Sergeant
Work currently underway on the Rochdale via Oldham line is expected to take several weeks to complete.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has confirmed that land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has now “slowed”, and this means that detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works have been able to get underway.
In order for trams to run again on the crucial line from the city centre to the two major Greater Manchester towns, TfGM says that a small section of track has to be moved back – also known as ‘slewed’ – into its original position.
The overhead line poles also need to be repaired too, the transport operator revealed.
Rochdale line update
Land movement affecting the Metrolink network near Derker has slowed, enabling detailed ground investigations and temporary repair works to get underway.
To get trams running again, a small section of track has to be moved back into its original position… pic.twitter.com/byERjitdi1
Unfortunately though, due to the “complex” nature of these works, and despite the fact that TfGM says it’s actively looking to “accelerate” the repairs, the project is expected to take up to five weeks to complete in full.
On top of this, the detailed ground investigations will also establish whether any further work to strengthen foundations beneath the track will be needed at a later date.
TfGM has apologised for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
‘Complex’ Metrolink repairs to the Rochdale via Oldham line could take weeks to complete / Credit: TfGM
Speaking on the scale of works currently underway, and how long he expects them to continue for, Pete Sommers, who is TfGM’s Network Director for Metrolink, said: “I’m sorry for the impact this is having, and will continue to have, on people’s journeys.
“We are working to get trams running through the area again, but this remains a complex and challenging issue and it could still be a few weeks before this happens.
“We will of course keep passengers updated, and I’d encourage people to check our social media channels and website for the latest information and advice.”