Oliver Dowden mocked Angela Rayner over expense claims for headphones as the pair clashed during PMQs today.

The Deputy Prime Minister’s comments come after it recently emerged the Labour politician had billed the public purse for expensive earphones having previously done the same for Apple AirPods two years ago.

Parliament’s expenses watchdog approved the claim but Ms Rayner repayed the £139 after it emerged.

During the Commons session at lunchtime, the deputy Labour leader took aim at Mr Dowden over the Government’s legal action against the Covid inquiry over its demand for Boris Johnson’s WhatsApps.

She asked if he thinks “working people will thank him for spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on their money on loophole lawyers”.

But Mr Dowden hit back: “I find it extraordinary that she should lecture us on value for money for the taxpayer when I understand she has now purchased two pairs of noise-cancelling headphones on expenses.”

As the Tory benches erupted, he added: “I will be fair to her, if I had to attend shadow cabinet meetings I think I’d want to tune them out too.”

Elsewhere during PMQs, Mr Dowden insisted it is “one rule for Labour and another for everyone else”.

He said: “Let me just remind her of a few facts about the Covid inquiry.

“We set up the Covid inquiry, we have provided it with more than 55,000 documents so far.

“We have given it all the financial resources it needs so we can learn the lessons from the pandemic.

“But in Wales they also had a pandemic and what have the Labour-run Wales authorities done there? No independent inquiry in Wales.

“As ever, one rule for Labour and another for everyone else.”

Ms Rayner later accused Mr Dowden of “dire” punchlines prompting laughter from the Labour benches.

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