LONDON (Bywire News) - Labour's Deputy Leader Angela Rayner has been criticised on social media after posting, and then swiftly deleting, a tweet claiming that the Home Secretary Priti Patel had not secured the UK's borders well enough.
During last night's epic Euro 2020 match between Switzerland and France, and just after Spain had beaten Croatia 5-3 after extra time, Rayner attempted to make a joke about shoddy defending.
Writing on Twitter, the Labour Deputy Leader quipped that the defenders "must have been taking notes" from Home Secretary Priti Patel "on securing our borders".
However, just two minutes after posting the tweet, Rayner deleted it - but not before several screenshots were taken and the official Deleted by MPs Twitter account had registered it.
Rayner's full tweet read:
"Defenders tonight must have been taking notes from @GavinWilliamson on educating our kids and @pritipatel on securing our borders. Fantastic entertainment though #FRASUI"
Since becoming Home Secretary, Priti Patel has encountered widespread criticism for her extremely harsh approach to immigration.
In May, Patel was slammed for posing for a photo-op during an immigration enforcement raid in London.
At the start of June, the High Court ruled that Patel had acted unlawfully by housing asylum seekers in a "filthy" and "overcrowded" former army barracks.
And, just today, Patel has been branded "inhumane" over her proposals to house asylum seekers in an offshore "processing facility".
Given Patel's egregious record towards immigrants, Rayner's claim that Patel had apparently not been tough enough on the issue came in for fierce criticism.
Swiftly deleted by Angela Rayner but that "securing our borders" line gets a yikes from me! pic.twitter.com/YxRthRvd8S
— Labour Accelerationists (@LabourAccel) June 28, 2021
Angela Rayner criticising Priti Patel for *checks notes* not... securing... our borders.
— Socialist Chris (@Socialist_Chris) June 29, 2021
Do you people fucking HEAR yourselves?
It's a shame the Tories will win Batley and Spen, but man, Labour deserve to lose.
This reaction from Labour says everything you need to know about UK politics right now. As if locking people up in offshore detention centres in a poorer country is something to make light of. https://t.co/4AmFBuLvxh
— Nish (@acaciathorns) June 28, 2021
Labour just keeps on sinking lower and lower https://t.co/lu6q7W6N6t
— Alec Maguire (@alec94) June 28, 2021
the absolute state of this https://t.co/s7mTVSF4Xk
— Ben Smoke (@bencsmoke) June 28, 2021
Rayner is widely rumoured to be plotting a leadership challenge to Keir Starmer - and, if Labour lose the upcoming by election in Batley and Spen to the Tories on Thursday, it may come sooner rather than later.
However, if she does, it is highly unlikely that Labour members would be willing to support an immigration policy platform to the right of Priti Patel.
(Writing by Tom D. Rogers, editing by Jess Miller.)