Angela Rayner has hit back at "vile lies" from Conservative MPs who claimed that she crosses her legs in the Commons to distract Boris Johnson.
Labour's deputy leader called out an extraordinary account of Tories likening her tactics to those of a fully-clothed equivalent of Sharon Stone’s infamous scene in the film Basic Instinct.
The report claimed that Ms Rayner was deliberately attempting to put the PM "off his stride" when she stands in for Labour leader Keir Starmer at PMQs.
The right-wing Mail on Sunday also quoted MPs attacking Ms Rayner's PMQs debating skills which "she knows can't compete with Boris's Oxford Union debating training".
The article unleashed a wave of criticism over the sexism and snobbery of the claims from across the House of Commons, including from Mr Johnson.
But Ms Rayner blasted on Twitter : “Boris Johnson’s cheerleaders have resorted to spreading desperate, perverted smears in their doomed attempts to save his skin.
"They know exactly what they are doing. The lies they are telling."
She added: "It is the PM who is dragging the Conservative Party into the sewer - and the anonymous Tory MPs doing his bidding are complicit.
"He and his cheerleaders clearly have a big problem with women in public life. They should be ashamed of themselves.
"I won’t be letting their vile lies deter me."
Labour's deputy leader, who left school at 16 without qualifications before becoming a care worker, argued that politics needed more working class people.
"The potted biography is given - my comprehensive education, my experience as a care worker, my family, my class, my background. The implication is clear," she said.
"I hope this experience doesn’t put off a single person like me, with a background like mine from aspiring to participate in public life. That would break my heart.
"We need more people in politics with backgrounds like mine - and fewer as a hobby to help their mates."
After the furious outcry, Mr Johnson tweeted: "As much as I disagree with Angela Rayner on almost every political issue I respect her as a parliamentarian and deplore the misogyny directed at her anonymously today."
But just 15 minutes later Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, a Johnson ultra, undermined the sincerity of the message by copying it word for word in her own tweet.
The PMQs exchanges when Mr Starmer is away have become a highlight of the Commons calendar during which Ms Rayner has landed frequent blows on the PM.
During one encounter in January, Mr Johnson suggested that she was keen to take Mr Starmer's place permanently, saying: "We all know what job she wants."
Ms Rayner hit back: "I’ve heard on the grapevine there might be a vacancy for Prime Minister soon, so maybe I should show aspiration."
In response to his deputy's tweets, Mr Starmer said: "Well said, Angela Rayner.
"The sexism and misogyny peddled by the Tories is a disgraceful new low from a party mired in scandal and chaos."
Earlier, Tory party chair Oliver Dowden dismissed the claims in the Mail on Sunday newspaper as “totally ludicrous” but claimed he "doesn't recognise" the view allegedly held by Tory MPs.
Former Commons leader Andrea Leadsom said she agreed with Ms Rayner's assessment that she had been targeted for being a woman.
"Really sorry Angela. Totally unacceptable comments," the Tory MP tweeted.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid tweeted: "If an MP or MPs really said this then it's utterly shameful.
"No woman in politics should have to put up with this."
