Labour’s candidate in the Stoke-on-Trent Central byelection has apologised for a series of offensive tweets aimed at women on TV programmes including BBC Question Time, Loose Women and The Apprentice.

In unguarded posts from several years ago, Gareth Snell called panellists on ITV’s Loose Women “squabbling sour-faced ladies”, described Janet Street-Porter as a “polished turd” and said a “speccy blonde girl” on BBC’s The Apprentice should “piss off”.

After Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, appeared on BBC’s Question Time, Snell tweeted: “Diane, you are great, then you say something incredibly arsingly stupid.”

Snell expressed regret for the remarks, which were criticised by the Ukip leader, Paul Nuttall, who is also standing for the seat.

“They were from years ago when I was tweeting along with TV programmes, but nevertheless, I shouldn’t have tweeted those comments and I apologise for the offence they have caused,” Snell said.



Snell’s tweets have previously landed him in hot water, after it emerged he had described Brexit as “a massive pile of shit” after the referendum result.

His support for the remain campaign has been a key chink in Labour’s armour in the fight against Nuttall in the city where almost 70% voted to leave the EU.

Snell told the Guardian he had “ not hidden the fact that I voted for remain, but Stoke was very clear what it wanted” and said the tight campaign in Stoke should not just be a rerun of the referendum.

“I will not frustrate the will of the people. I will do nothing to slow it down, but it is incumbent upon me to get the best deal that works for the Potteries, the investment, trade opportunities,” he said. “I want to make it work.”

A Ukip spokesman said: “The Labour candidate is in danger of coming across as a foul-mouthed young man with a lot of growing up still to do. The people of Stoke-on-Trent Central clearly deserve much better than this to represent them in the House of Commons.

“They deserve a seasoned, grown-up political figure who will treat them with respect and set out their concerns in more eloquent and thoughtful fashion.”

Ukip also had to apologise on Monday for an offensive post by its immigration spokesman, John Bickley, who retweeted a cartoon with the slogan “If you want a jihadi for a neighbour, vote Labour”. He apologised, saying he had not realised its connection to the racist slogan used in the 1964 Smethwick byelection.

Bickley, who has stood in several byelections for Ukip, said he wanted to “apologise for any offence caused” because of the racist origins of the slogan, but he did not explicitly apologise for its anti-Muslim sentiment.