Wes Streeting Apologises For Calling Jeremy Corbyn ‘Senile’ In House Of Commons

Wes Streeting has been forced to apologise after calling Jeremy Corbyn “senile” in the House of Commons.

The shadow health secretary made the comment to a colleague as the former Labour leader prepared to raise a point of order.

But it was picked up by one of the microphones which hang from the Commons ceiling.

Prime minister Rishi Sunak was about to make a statement on his visit to the Cop27 climate summit when Corbyn, who now sits as an independent MP, tried to intervene.

Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle told him: “Points of order come after statements.”

Streeting can then be heard saying: “He’s gone senile.”

His remark was widely condemned on Twitter.

Columnist Owen Jones described the remark as “gross”.

And Labour councillor Martin Abrams tweeted: “Why is the shadow secretary of state for health joking about dementia?”

Streeting said his comment had been “in jest, but I accept in poor taste”.

He added: “I’ve dropped Jeremy a note directly to apologise for any offence caused.”

Streeting, the MP for Ilford North, was an outspoken critic of Corbyn when he was Labour leader.

In 2019, he said “self-inflicted wounds” over Brexit and “hollow” leadership on anti-Semitism would hand victory to the Conservatives.

Boris Johnson went on to secure an 80-seat majority for the Tories in a snap election later that year.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost UK and has been updated.