A government minister apologized after receiving a backlash for describing Birmingham and Blackpool as “great” places.
Heather Wheeler, a Tory MP from South Derbyshire, said she had made an “inappropriate remark that did not reflect my real point of view” at a conference on Thursday, and that she apologized[s] for every crime committed. “
The junior cabinet minister reportedly said during the event launching the government’s new digital strategy: “I just attended a conference in Blackpool or Birmingham or somewhere awful.”
Chris Middleton, a technology journalist who was at the start, was the first to report her remarks.
The comment came the same day as Boris Johnson visited Blackpool in a bid to bolster his tarnished reputation after rebel Tory lawmakers voted no confidence in his post-Partygate leadership.
In Blackpool, in a bid to attract voters, Mr Johnson promised to review the mortgage market as part of plans to help low-income housing association tenants and people receiving benefits buy their homes.
His attempt to attract voters to the coastal city – England’s most needy local government – could be overshadowed by Mrs Wheeler’s remark.
The comment was also criticized by Labor, with Deputy Leader Angela Raynor saying: “Honestly, it’s embarrassing that she’s still in office as a minister.
She added: “The mask has slipped. This minister spoke about what Boris Johnson’s conservatives really think about our communities behind closed doors. Disrespect is out of scale.
“Heather Wheeler has shown complete contempt for voters.”
Shadow leveling secretary Lisa Nandi tweeted: “What an absolute shower. They tell us that they are leveling the country, but that is what they really think.
“They can’t even tell the difference between Blackpool or Birmingham or somewhere awful.” Senseless and insulting. “
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