THERESA May has urged shadow chancellor John McDonnell to apologise to Esther McVey for saying she should be "lynched".

The Prime Minister said Mr McDonnell "keeps refusing" to apologise to the now Work and Pensions Secretary for comments he made in 2014.

Mr McDonnell described Ms McVey as "a stain on humanity" during an outburst in the Commons three years ago.

At a separate event, he also recounted a comment he had heard in which someone said the former disabilities minister should be "lynched" for her part in implementing welfare cuts.

Mr McDonnell has always insisted he was quoting other people, so he has nothing to apologise for.

Mrs May's calls came after Tory Vicky Ford (Chelmsford) raised the intimidation of women standing for election during PMQs in the Commons, and asked Mrs May: "Does she agree we should take no lessons from a party whose shadow chancellor has called for violence against women on this side of the House."

The Prime Minister said "I think this issue is a particularly important one", and said the Government was "consulting on a new offence of intimidation of election candidates and campaigners".

She added: "That follows the report from Lord Bew and his committee about the degree to which there was intimidation at the last general election, particularly intimidation of women, BME candidates and LGBT candidates.

"This is an absolute disgrace, it has no part in our public life and I would urge the shadow chancellor once again, and he keeps refusing to do this, to apologise to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for saying she should be lynched."