Parliament Just Went Into Total Meltdown After Jeremy Corbyn Was Accused Of Calling Theresa May A “Stupid Woman”

    The Labour leader’s spokesperson issued a denial, insisting he said “stupid people”.

    Today was the final Prime Minister’s Questions before the Christmas break, and it descended into complete chaos after Jeremy Corbyn was accused of mouthing that Theresa May is a “stupid woman”.

    Decide for yourself here:

    People think Jeremy Corbyn muttered “stupid woman” in PMQs – speaker John Bercow said he didn't see it...

    Tory MPs queued up to furiously demand that Corbyn issue an apology.

    VIDEO: 'Come back in the Chamber and apologise'. Sir Patrick McLoughlin complains to Speaker about Corbyn calling PM 'stupid woman'. #PMQs

    The Tory party vice-chair James Cleverly claimed that he witnessed the Labour leader say the words himself.

    "I saw it sir, I saw him say it" - Conservative MP @JamesCleverly says he witnessed @jeremycorbyn calling @theresa_may a "stupid woman". Speaker John Bercow says he "cannot be expected immediately to pronounce guilt or innocence" 🔴 Get live updates https://t.co/nRyRMjGijD

    But speaker John Bercow said he couldn’t act as he hadn’t seen the incident. It left political journalists calling for a video replay:

    Bercow refusing to act because he's not seen the footage. VAR needed now.

    Plot twist! The leader of the house, Andrea Leadsom, then stood up at the despatch box and accused speaker Bercow of calling *her* a “stupid woman” a few months ago.

    Leader of the House @andrealeadsom raises a point of order about the issue

    Meanwhile, Corbyn was photographed in the Commons tea room watching a video replay of his alleged comments.

    Corbyn appears to know he’s in trouble. Here he is, watching the ‘stupid woman’ point of order from the Commons tearoom (ht a very helpful MP)

    Rob Lowe had his say.

    FYI- I have to say, I saw Jeremy Corbin call the Prime Minister a “stupid woman” with my own eyes watching on @SkyNewsPolitics

    But Corbyn’s spokesperson then told journalists that he had in fact said “stupid people”, not “stupid woman”.

    Jeremy Corbyn spokesman: “He did not call her a stupid woman so there’s no basis for an apology. He said stupid people.”

    Corbyn spokesman: “Lip reading in such circumstances is always open to doubt.”

    Some watching agreed that the evidence was not conclusive.

    Just putting this out there - I’ve only watched the vid about ten times, but it doesn’t look like “stupid woman” to me. I can see “stupid”, but not “woman”.

    The BBC then called up a lip-reader, who said otherwise.

    I just showed Evelyn Glennie, the famous percussionist, the footage of Jeremy Corbyn in the Commons. She's deaf and can lip read. She wasn't aware of the story and her interpretation of what he said was "stupid woman". She says she's very certain. @theJeremyVine @BBCPolitics

    If you can’t tell, everyone in Westminster needs a holiday.

    Update: Later in the afternoon, after he had viewed the footage and spoken to “lip-speakers”, Bercow told the Commons that “nobody can be 100% certain” what Corbyn said.

    John Bercow says he sought the advice of "lip speakers" to help establish whether Jeremy Corbyn called Theresa May a "stupid woman", adding "nobody can be 100% certain" what was said. Get more on this story here: https://t.co/05GuMVEC23

    Corbyn then put it on the record that he said “stupid people”, referring to the Tory benches, and not “stupid woman”. The Tories responded that the country would draw its own conclusions.

    "I did not use the words 'stupid woman'" Jeremy Corbyn denies using the words "stupid woman" to describe Theresa May during a heated debate in PMQs For everything you need to know head here: https://t.co/rPdZuTdVCB

    Subplot! After Andrea Leadsom accused Bercow of calling her a “stupid woman” earlier, a second woman Tory MP, Vicky Ford, then told the Commons that the speaker had also used the phrase about her. Bercow denied the allegation.

    "I've heard it from yourself in the Speaker's chair" - John Bercow found himself denying allegations made by Vicky Ford that he has used the phrase "stupid woman" himself in the Commons. Find out more about the row here: https://t.co/rPdZuTdVCB