Johnny Mercer Faces Criticism for 'Inbetweeners'-Inspired Insult Directed at New Labour MP

Johnny Mercer has been criticised after launching an extraordinary attack on Labour’s newest MP.

The Tory minister compared Keir Mather to a character from hit comedy The Inbetweeners after his stunning victory in Selby and Ainsty.

He also suggested MPs should have raised a family before standing for parliament.

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Mather, who is 25, overturned a 20,000 Tory majority in the seat to pull off the historic win.

But on Sky News afterwards, Mercer suggested the new MP was too inexperienced to be in parliament.

He also accused Mather of robotically “parroting” Labour lines because he does not have enough life experience.

He said: “I think it’s always good to get new people in politics. I think we mustn’t become a repeat of the Inbetweeners. You’ve got to have people who have actually done stuff.

“This guy has been at Oxford University more than he’s been in a job. You put a chip in him there and he just repeats Labour lines.

“The problem is people have had enough of that, right? They want people who are authentic, people who have worked in that constituency, who understand what life is like - to live, work and raise a family in communities like there’s.

“I’m afraid I don’t agree with this style of politics. It’s exactly why people like me couldn’t vote in the 2015 election, because you’ve got people with nothing to do with the constituency just dropped in, put a chip in them and they’ll start parroting Labour Party politics.”

A Labour source told HuffPost UK: “Johnny Mercer’s response to a young gay man being elected was to make fun of his appearance and criticise him for not having raised a family. The true face of the Tory Party.”

Asked about his relative inexperience on Sky News, Mather said: “I don’t think people mind a candidate with a bit of energy and determination.

I’m a taxpayer too, I feel the pressures as much as anybody else. I grew up in a rural village, very similar to the ones across Selby and Ainsty, so I do also know what it’s like to struggle to get that GP appointment.

“People are really struggling and I really get those experiences because I’ve lived them myself.”