Is Tory MP’s comment about The Inbetweeners sour grapes?

A Tory MP has been lampooned for slamming a new Labour MP by comparing him to a ‘repeat of The Inbetweeners.’

In a by-election yesterday, Keir Mather, 25, won the previous Conservative stronghold of Selby and Ainsty for Labour by overturning a majority of 20,000.

Indeed it is a young age to become an MP, but we have all seen the older ones in action and it seems age isn’t a factor in being terrible at your job.

So step forward Tory MP Johnny Mercer, who was less than graceful in his response to losing to Labour.

The Inbetweeners

He said: “We mustn’t become a repeat of The Inbetweeners. This guys has been at Oxford longer than in a job.”

Asked what he meant by the comparison, Mercer said: “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 relays Labour lines, and the problem is people have kind of had enough of that.

“They want people who are authentic. People who have worked in that constituency, who know what life is like, understand what life is like to live, work and raise a family in communities like theirs.”

He went on: “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.”

You wonder how many post Tory MPs have never really has a proper job?

Watch

The skipfire that is Johnny Mercer welcomes the newest and youngest MP, after a historic victory in Selby & Ainsty, with the sort of grace we've come to expect:

"We mustn't become a repeat of The Inbetweeners. This guys has been at Oxford longer than in a job." ~AA #ByElections pic.twitter.com/yHaeTrSEvz

— Best for Britain (@BestForBritain) July 21, 2023

Reactions

1.

https://twitter.com/SimonJones0103/status/1682238914256306176

2.

.@JohnnyMercerUK

See ↑.

Youngest MP:

Keir Mather, 25, elected for Labour on a 24% swing by 16,456 electors.

Youngest life peer:

Charlotte Owen, 29, appointed by Johnson for unidentified services and qualities, elected by nobody, legislator for life.

Johnny Mercer, twɐt.

— @[email protected] 🇺🇦 🇪🇺 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 #FBPE (@LittleGravitas) July 21, 2023

3.

People are not into the thing they just overwhelmingly voted for.

It’s the will of the people mate, you’re so undemocratic Mercer.

— Pome Pete (@peteccowan) July 21, 2023

4.

Every time Mercer opens his mouth the more astonished I am that anyone ever thought he might be PM-worthy. A borish, condescending man who has an awful habit of talking over everybody as if he is superior to them. Woeful stuff.

— Philip Murray (@HNM_PMurray) July 21, 2023

5.

He is so arrogant and disrespectful to both Keir AND the voters in Selby.

— Mary Lines (@MRL2017) July 21, 2023

6.

So he is saying that old people represent young people best? Not sure the young people (and there are a lot of them) would agree

— Martin Wellbourne (@MartinWellbour2) July 21, 2023

7.

Another hectoring and nasty performance from Mercer this morning…

— John Harvey 💜 🌹🇺🇦 (@Mr_John_Harvey_) July 21, 2023

Related: Uxbridge & South Ruislip: Has Count Binface given hope for us all?