Former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan was replaced by a handbag on the last edition of the BBC's satirical news quiz Have I Got News For You.

The Tory MP for Loughborough, who has been embroiled in the so-called “Trousergate” row since she criticised Theresa May's decision to wear a pair of £995 leather trousers during a photo-shoot for a newspaper, pulled out of filming the satirical panel show due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

A brown leather handbag was placed next to panellist Paul Merton in her place after Tory MPs backing the Prime Minister pointed to the fact that Ms Morgan has a designer Mulberry handbag which retails for some £950.

Sources close to the former Cabinet Minister are reported to have said the bag in question is more than a decade old and was a gift.

After seeing her replacement Ms Morgan tweeted: “I'd have donated the original bag if asked – it would have better lines than me.”

Ms Morgan, who the Prime Minister sacked as Education Secretary, expressed doubts over the Prime Minister's decision to wear the Amanda Wakeley-designed “bitter chocolate” trousers for the photo-shoot.

The move forced Ms May to deny she was out of touch and prompted a top aide to bar Ms Morgan from a No 10 meeting about Brexit.

Ms Morgan had been booked to appear on the BBC show, the last in the current series, since September alongside host Gary Lineker and comedian Jon Richardson.