Andrea Jenkyns obscene gesture 'sums up' the Conservative Party, says Yvette Cooper

Labour MP Yvette Cooper has slammed Andrea Jenkyns after she was filmed giving protestors the finger on her way into Downing Street last week.

The MP for Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford said it 'sums up' the disrespect the Conservative Party has shown people during their period of power.

The Morley and Outwood MP was filmed giving protestors the finger on Thursday as she passed through the security gate on Whitehall to watch Boris Johnson give his resignation speech.

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Ms Cooper said: "This just sums up the conservatives and the way they’ve been behaving. At a time where teachers do their best, parents do their best to teach respect to children in schools.

Yvette Cooper has spoken out about Andrea Jenkyns' obscene gesture last weekYvette Cooper has spoken out about Andrea Jenkyns' obscene gesture last week
Yvette Cooper has spoken out about Andrea Jenkyns' obscene gesture last week

“To have someone who is appointed to be education minister to show such disrespect to people, I just think is just not on.”

She also said none of the candidates to become the new leader of the Conservative Party were free from their involvement in Boris Johnson's controversial time in power.

She added: "To see all of this catalogue of candidates and they’ve all been defending Boris Johnson all this time through the lies, through the law-breaking, through the security breaches and they’ve all been part of 12 years of Tory government’s failure on cost of living soaring and falling public services so I actually think none of them are going to give us the fresh start we need.

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“You can’t choose between Conservative party candidates who have all been part of 12 years of Conservative government failure. We’ve had no proper growth for 12 years we’ve seen our towns run down, we’ve seen public services run down.

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“And we’ve seen the cost of living soaring for ordinary families across the country. I don’t think any of them stand up for the country and the fresh start that Labour want to bring.”

On Sunday, Grant Shapps said he would not endorse the actions of Andrea Jenkyns.

Transport Secretary Mr Shapps said: “I’d like to see a high standard of propriety with everyone. I wouldn’t endorse that.

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“I also think though we would be doing very well to talk about the future and vision for this country, and the reason that I want to lead is because I think this country has its best days ahead.”

In a statement on Saturday she said: "On Thursday I went to Downing Street to watch the Prime Minister's resignation speech. A baying mob outside the gates were insulting MPs on their way in as is sadly all too common.

"After receiving huge amounts of abuse from some of the people who were there over the years, and I have also had seven death threats in the past four years. Two of which have been in recent weeks and are currently being investigated by the police, I have reached the end of my tether.

"I responded and stood up for myself. Just why should anyone have to put up with this sort of treatment.

"I should have shown more composure but am only human."