Tory whips will be “looking at whether they know” who made comments about Angela Rayner to a newspaper that have been roundly condemned as sexist, a minister has told Sky News.

Technology minister Chris Philp said he expected that if the source of the comments to the Mail on Sunday about Labour’s deputy leader were discovered they would be likely to be “subject to discipline”.

Boris Johnson has said he deplores “the misogyny directed at her anonymously” and is understood to have communicated that view in a “short but heartfelt” WhatsApp message to Ms Rayner.

The newspaper article said Conservative MPs had accused Ms Rayner of deliberately distracting Mr Johnson by crossing and uncrossing her legs.

One anonymous source was reported as saying: “She knows she can’t compete with Boris’s Oxford Union debating training, but she has other skills which he lacks.”

On Monday, Mr Philp told Sky News: “I was appalled that that sentiment was being expressed.

“It’s offensive, it’s misogynistic.

Angela Rayner and Boris Johnson condemn ‘sexist’ and ‘misogynistic’ Mail on Sunday article claiming Tory MPs accuse her of ‘Basic Instinct’ ploy to distract PM

Angela Rayner says Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer represent a choice between the ‘naughty boyfriend’ or ‘the stable one’

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner wants police to ‘shoot terrorists and ask questions second’

“The prime minister and cabinet ministers have been absolutely right to roundly condemn that sentiment and to offer support to Angela Rayner on this issue

“I’ve never heard anyone say anything like that or even hinted it and if I did I would be disgusted and appalled.

“Nobody should have to suffer the kind of misogynistic abuse which that sentiment amounts to.

“If it ever comes out who said that then I imagine they would be subject to discipline.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Asked whether whips would be seeking to find out who briefed the newspaper, Mr Philp said: “I think they’ll be looking at whether they know who said this.

“I’ve got no idea who said it.

“No one has ever said anything like that to me or even hinted at it.

“I think everybody is appalled by the misogynistic sentiment.

“We all need to keep the tone of discourse in public life civil and respectful and focus on the issues that our constituents expect us to deal with, not engage of this kind of – what essentially is – abuse.”

Ms Rayner responded to the article over the weekend saying: “Women in politics face sexism and misogyny every day – and I’m no different.

“Boris Johnson’s cheerleaders have resorted to spreading desperate, perverted smears in their doomed attempts to save his skin.”

On Monday, Ms Rayner’s front bench Labour colleague Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, said that with “great sadness” she was “not surprised” at the story.

“This sort of sexism and misogyny is frankly the sort of rubbish that female MPs but also female staffers in the House of Commons have to put up with every single day.

“When I hear a minister say ‘I haven’t heard this sort of thing before’ – talk to your female colleagues, talk to the women who work in your office, because a lot of them would have experienced this sort of thing.”

Related posts:

PM: I have always had the highest admiration for the Queen UK ‘deeply concerned’ about China’s electoral reforms for Hong Kong Theresa May and George Osborne attack Rishi Sunak’s budget PM demands Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s ‘immediate release’ in phone call with Iranian president Arlene Foster formally resigns as Northern Ireland first minister Ban on commercial evictions to be extended until 2022, govt source says Green Party co-leader to stand down over party’s ‘mixed messages’ on trans rights MP found guilty of harassing partner’s friend after threatening to throw acid at her ‘Change in tone’ from UK in latest Brexit talks, EU says Cummings claims PM was writing Shakespeare book instead of dealing with COVID Hancock accused of trying to ‘cash in’ on COVID after he’s approached to write book on pandemic Partygate fine is personally wounding for a chancellor who finds himself in a funk