[gigya src=”https://abfiles.s3.amazonaws.com/swf/default_player_10.swf” style=”background-color:transparent; display:block; box-shadow:0 0 1px 1px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15); min-width:349px; max-width:700px;” flashvars=”image_option=none&imgURL=&link_color=steelblue&mp3Author=WikiGuido&mp3Duration=264908.0&mp3LinkURL=https%3A%2F%2Faudioboo.fm%2Fboos%2F2162589-mitchell-lbc-interview&mp3Time=04.09pm+14+May+2014&mp3Title=Mitchell+LBC+interview&mp3URL=https%3A%2F%2Faudioboo.fm%2Fboos%2F2162589-mitchell-lbc-interview.mp3%3Fsource%3Dwordpress&player_theme=light&rootID=boo_player_1&show_title=true&waveimgURL=https%3A%2F%2Fd15mj6e6qmt1na.cloudfront.net%2Fi%2Fw%2F506962″ width=”480″ height=”150″ allowFullScreen=”true” wmode=”transparent”]
Labour claimed that Austin Mitchell had apologised to the Chief Whip:
“I looked through my list of incoming phone-calls, calls too from Conservative MPs demanding I apologise, but frankly I didn’t get them. Does anyone who has said anything critical on twitter have to apologise? I’m not going to say sorry, that would be silly, because I am not sorry. I don’t see a reason for the row frankly.”
He also went off on one about the use of the word rape saying the row was a “storm in a teacup”:
“I wanted to warn the government that AstraZeneca is going to be badly damaged if this take over goes through.”
I think it’s a word that is used in other contexts too and I think this row is frankly artificial… I think the storm is really a very defensive one by people who don’t like the takeover but dont think they can stop it so therefore they would rather turn the heat on something else.
I don’t think I am [trivialising rape] I think perhaps I am exaggerating the threat to the company, but it is a threat.”
Labour have reiterated tonight that Mitchell has apologised to the Chief Whip. We report, you decide.
UPDATE: Ed Balls has hardly helped things, saying that what Mitchell said was “stupid” and that he should apologise but defended him as “a character”:
[gigya src=”https://abfiles.s3.amazonaws.com/swf/default_player_10.swf” flashvars=”image_option=none&imgURL=&link_color=steelblue&mp3Author=lbc&mp3Duration=102249.0&mp3LinkURL=https%3A%2F%2Faudioboo.fm%2Fboos%2F2162652-ed-balls-austin-mitchell-s-tweet-was-stupid-and-offensive&mp3Time=04.20pm+14+May+2014&mp3Title=Ed+Balls%3A+Austin+Mitchell%27s+tweet+was+stupid+and+offensive&mp3URL=https%3A%2F%2Faudioboo.fm%2Fboos%2F2162652-ed-balls-austin-mitchell-s-tweet-was-stupid-and-offensive.mp3%3Fsource%3Dwordpress&player_theme=light&rootID=boo_player_1&show_title=true&waveimgURL=https%3A%2F%2Fd15mj6e6qmt1na.cloudfront.net%2Fi%2Fw%2F507084″ width=”480″ height=”150″ allowFullScreen=”true” wmode=”transparent”]
