Angela Rayner has said that Matt Hancock appearing on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here is "offensive" as she blasted the MP for his decision.
The deputy leader of the Labour Party joined Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield on This Morning today, where they were discussing the Tory MP heading into the jungle tonight. In the upcoming episode Hancock and comedian Seann Walsh will get down and dirty in trial 'Beastly Burrows'.
As she sat on the This Morning couch, Ms Rayner slammed Mr Hancock saying he should be in parliament rather than "squirming around with maggots". Prior to entering the jungle, Mr Hancock defended his decision to go on the show, for what is a reported £400,000 fee, insisting he wants to reach voters in new way and raise awareness of campaigns and issues important to him, writes The Mirror.
The hosts asked Ms Rayner what was different about Mr Hancock's jungle stint, compared to the other interests of other MPs, and she replied: "We should be in parliament. Last night, yesterday, I was in parliament voting on the triple lock for pensioners, looking at integrity in the Home Office and also I was at an event about Bangladeshis in the UK, the entrepreneurs adding to our economy.
"These are what politicians do. My diary is rammed. I don't think you should be squirming around with maggots."
Holly went on to say that the MP might defend himself by saying he is bringing politics to a new audience. Ms Rayner laughed and said: "They just want to see him eat a kangaroo anus. There are times when you can get your message across but this is not a platform. It's that old saying, what £400,000 figure attracted you to go in the jungle.
"I don't think it's something that is going to give a platform for serious political debate and dealing with the current issues facing us."
She went on to say that going into the jungle was "offensive" as the Covid inquiry takes place.
She added: "I think it's really offensive when last week, the Covid inquiry - and he was the health secretary during the pandemic - and some serious questions about that. People will be rightly angry that he's laughing and joking in the jungle at a time when they're actually thinking what did you do to protect my loved one during that period."
In his entry interview, Mr Hancock defended his decision, insisting he could engage with young people. He said: "There are lots of different ways to communicate with the public and we (politicians) are wrong if we think you can only do that on the traditional political shows where you are mainly only talking to people who take an active interest in politics.
"It’s important we engage with everyone including young people in who our politicians are and this programme is a good way to do that. I am looking forward to it." Once the show is over, he vowed to be back "holding surgeries and in Parliament".
I'm A Celebrity continues tonight at 9pm on STV.
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