Labour leadership contender Owen Smith has denied he has a problem with women – following a gaffe about Nicola Sturgeon.

The Pontypridd MP was accused of sexism last week when it emerged he had suggested that the First Minister eat a gobstopper to stay silent.

The SNP criticised the comments saying that the suggestion that women "should be seen but not heard is one that should be well and truly consigned to the dustbin of history".

At a press conference, Mr Smith described the jibe as "a bit of a political banter".

He said it was "absolutely not" the case that he had a problem with women, as he pointed to the presence of a number of senior female figures in his campaign team.

Mr Smith was forced to apologise in July after he said that his party should “smash” Theresa May “back on her heels”.

Video also emerged of the Mr Smith telling the Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood last year that she was regularly asked to appear on the BBC’s Question Time programme because of her "gender".

Last week Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn came under fire for claiming that after-work drinks discriminated against women, because they would be more likely to want to be at home looking after their children.

Mr Smith also warned that his party was currently "nowhere" as an opposition under Mr Corbyn.

While the UK faces a crisis in the wake of the Brexit vote, Labour risks handing power to the Tories for a 'generation', he said.

Mr Smith's team also printed spoof copies of the 2020 Conservative manifesto.

Mr Smith said the next Tory government would be emboldened to cut services, put the wealthiest first, expand privatisation in the English NHS and introduce 'for profit' schools south of the border.

Meanwhile, Mr Corbyn suggested that he was investigating allegations that the contest was rigged.

He said that he had asked for the name of every person who had been denied a vote by his party.

He said he was unhappy but not “obsessed” by the situation and was confident that most of his supporters would be able to vot.

In a a wide-ranging interview with the Guardian newspaper he also commented on the recent row with the Harry Potter author JK Rowling who claimed that his re-election would not “funny”.

Mr Corbyn said that he was “disappointed” but looked forward to meeting a “wonderful writer” and that he would buy her would work.

Meanwhile, Mr Corbyn suggested that he was investigating allegations that the contest was rigged.

The veteran socialist said that he had asked for the name of every person who had been denied a vote by his party.

He said he was unhappy but not “obsessed” by the situation and was confident that most of his supporters would be able to vote.

In a a wide-ranging interview with the Guardian newspaper he also commented on the recent row with the Harry Potter author JK Rowling who claimed that his re-election would not “funny”.

Mr Corbyn said that he was “disappointed” but looked forward to meeting a “wonderful writer” and that he would buy her would work.

Ms Smith also indicated that he favours a return to system of electing the shadow cabinet.

More than 50 members of Mr Corbyn’s frontbench walked out on him at the start of the summer, prompting the leadership election.

But with Mr Corbyn the favourite to win, deputy leader Tom Watson has suggested that his boss should not be able to pick his top team – and instead members should be elected by Labour MPs.

Mr Smith said that he was ready to "look very carefully" at that proposal.

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn suggested the party could consider giving members a vote on the make-up of the shadow cabinet.