Angela Rayner hit out at Dominic Raab urging him to apologise after formal complaints were made against him into bullying allegations.
The Deputy Labour leader borrowed a Donald Trump phrase as she filled in for Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's Questions while Raab replaced Rishi Sunak due to his attendance at the G20 summit in Bali.
Earlier today the Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Secretary requested a formal investigation into himself following claims over the weekend.
Rayner asked Raab when a new independent ethics adviser was going to be appointed.
She told the Commons: "No ethics, no integrity, and no mandate, and still no ethics adviser. So when will they appoint an independent ethics adviser and drain the swamp?"
Raab replied: "The recruitment of the new ethics adviser is already underway and taking place at pace. May I say, there is a reason that she has come to the despatch box with her usual mix of bluster and mudslinging. It is because they don't have a plan."
Rayner probed further: "After days of dodging and denial, this morning the Deputy Prime Minister finally acknowledged formal complaints about his misconduct, but his letter contains no hint of admission or apology. This is anti-bullying week. Will he apologise?"
Raab replied: "She asks about the complaints, I received notification this morning, I immediately asked the Prime Minister to set up an independent inquiry into them.
"I'm confident I behaved professionally throughout but of course I will engage thoroughly and look forward to transparently addressing any claims that have been made."
She hit back: "Let me get this straight. He has had to demand an investigation into himself because the Prime Minister is too weak to get a grip.
"A Prime Minister in office less than a month with a disgraced cabinet minister resigned with his good wishes, the Home Secretary who breached the ministerial code and risked national security still clings on, and now the Prime Minister defends his deputy, whose behaviour has been described as 'abrasive, controlling and demeaning', with junior staff too scared to even enter his office, and that is without mentioning the flying tomatoes.
"The Deputy Prime Minister knows his behaviour is unacceptable, so what is he still doing here?"
Raab replied he was "happy to address any specific point she wishes to make", adding: "She hasn't in fact put a specific point to me, if she wishes to do so, and this is her opportunity, I would be very glad to address it."
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