Boris Johnson approaches Angela Rayner about allegations of misogyny in the press.

Boris Johnson has written to Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner to express his displeasure at claims made about her in a Sunday newspaper.

Politicians have slammed the allegation that Ms. Rayner crosses and uncrosses her legs in the Commons to distract the prime minister.

According to the Mail on Sunday, the assertion was made by anonymous Conservative MPs.

Ms. Rayner described this as a "perverted libel," claiming that women in politics were subjected to misogyny daily.

"As much as I disagree with Angela Rayner on practically every political topic, I respect her as an MP and condemn the misogyny hurled at her anonymously today," Mr. Johnson tweeted on Sunday.

A Downing Street source confirmed to the BBC that the prime minister had contacted Ms. Rayner privately by text message to reiterate what he said in his public tweet.

Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, told BBC Radio 4's Today that she did not believe there was a single female MP or staff member in the House of Commons who did not have their misogyny or sexism experiences.

She called the charges "totally disgusting" and claimed they pointed to a larger problem in Parliament.

"To be honest, I am sick and tired of how female MPs and women are treated in Parliament, and it would be a good thing if this story and this horrible slur on Angela get things altered."

Ms. Rayner has also received backing from several lawmakers, particularly female Tory MPs.

Conservative Caroline Nokes said too many female MPs of all parties had been "on receiving end of vile articles", while former minister Andrea Leadsom tweeted: "Really sorry Angela. Unacceptable comments and reporting."

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said: "The sexism and misogyny peddled by the Tories is a disgraceful new low from a party mired in scandal and chaos."

The Mail on Sunday is not commenting.

Unnamed Conservative MPs said she would cross and uncross her legs when opposite the PM in the dispatch box in the Commons to distract him, according to the piece, which has now been changed to headline on deputy Labour leader Ms. Rayner's comment on Twitter.

Since then, a slew of MPs has come out to criticize not only the notion but also the tone of the newspaper's reporting.

Ms. Nokes, who chairs the women and equalities committee, said on Twitter that she had written Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the House of Commons, to ask if the political editor who wrote the piece should be given a press pass for Parliament.

"Tory MPs have mischievously speculated that Ms. Rayner loves to distract the Prime Minister while he is in the dispatch box by employing a fully-clothed Parliamentary analog of Sharon Stone's notorious sequence in the 1992 film Basic Instinct," the newspaper story said.

"It is also believed she applies the approach while sitting next to Sir Keir when he faces Mr. Johnson during PMQs," the newspaper continued.

"She understands she can't compete with Boris's Oxford Union debate training," one MP is quoted as saying, "but she has other qualities that he lacks."

"She admitted it when we were having cocktails on the [Commons] balcony."

The Labour MP's background was also depicted as "a grandmother who left school at 16 when pregnant and had no credentials before becoming a care worker," according to the story.

In a Twitter thread, Ms. Rayner called the story "gutter journalism," accusing the sources of "spreading desperate, perverse smears in their hopeless attempts to save [Mr. Johnson's] skin" during the partygate controversy.

"I won't be deterred by their filthy lies," she added. Their attempts to intimidate and harass me will fail.

"I hope this experience does not deter someone with a similar background to me from pursuing a career in public service." That would be a heartbreaker for me."

'More women in politics

The news sparked an outpouring of sympathy for Labour deputy leader Ed Miliband on social media.

"Solidarity from across the political line to Angela Rayner on this," Scotland's First Minister and SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon tweeted.

"It serves as a reminder of the severe misogyny that women endure daily."

Munira Wilson, a Liberal Democrat MP, called it a "disgraceful narrative," stating, "I can't believe that made it into print."

"This all demonstrates we need more women in politics and that when we work together, we are formidable and terrifying, and some sad males feel scared by it," Thangam Debbonaire, Labour's shadow leader in the Commons, added.