Angela Rayner blasts Raab over luxury holiday that’d cost poor Brits ’50 days’ work

The Labour Deputy Leader quipped the Deputy PM should “go back to his sun lounger and let me take over”

Angela Rayner told Dominic Raab to “go back to his sun lounger” after he had no clue Brits on minimum wage would have to work 50 days to afford a night’s stay at his favourite luxury hotel in Crete.

Labour’s Deputy Leader clashed with the Deputy PM over the economy, as working people face a squeeze to their budgets this winter, with National Insurance hikes, soaring energy bills and the £20-a-week cut to Universal Credit.

The Justice Secretary, who was standing in for Boris Johnson at Prime Minister’s Questions, was sacked as Foreign Secretary last week over his handling of the Afghanistan crisis.

It followed widespread outrage for him staying at the plush Amirandes Hotel in Crete to top up his tan while the Taliban took Kabul.

Ms Rayner took him to task over the cost of his stay, telling him ministers told Brits to “work harder” while hitting the pockets of working families by “cutting the income of a worker on £18,000 a year by over £1,100” with tax rises.

She said: “That is almost exactly the same as an average annual energy bill. Just as energy prices are ballooning they have chosen to take the money that could cover a year’s worth of bills out of the pockets of working people.

“The Deputy Prime Minister has said the solution is for people to work harder. So, can he tell us how many days a worker on the minimum wage would have to work this year in order to afford a night at a luxury hotel, say in Crete?”

Mr Raab replied the Government had previously cut income tax for the lowest paid and have boosted the minimum wage, but he was unable to answer her question about his plush sunshine break.

Ms Rayner hit back, saying: “He talks about the economy, he doesn’t even know how much his own holiday cost.

“So let me tell him. A worker on the minimum wage would need to work an extra 50 days to pay for a single night at his favourite resort, probably even more if the sea was open. The very same week that the Government is cutting Universal Credit, working people face soaring energy bills.”

Keir Starmer’s deputy then shamed the Justice Secretary over reports he is unhappy at having to share the grace and favour Chevening mansion with his successor as Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss.

The huge country residence is paid for by a charity, but is provided to Government ministers for no cost to them.

Ms Rayner said the Conservatives do “not care about working people” before adding: “Families across the country are worried about heating their homes while he’s complaining about having to share his 115-room taxpayer-funded mansion with the Foreign Secretary – the truth hurts, doesn’t it? – just as his Government are making choices that are making working families’ lives harder.

“A typical family is facing a tough winter this year: Universal Credit down a thousand quid; rent up 150 quid; gas bills up 150 quid; taxes up and food prices are soaring. Working people will have to choose whether to feed their kids or heat their homes.

“The choice for the Deputy Prime Minister is will he make their lives easier or harder? So what will he choose – will the Government cancel the Universal Credit cut?”

Mr Raab replied: “She should check her facts as Chevening is funded by a charity, not a penny of taxpayers’ money.”