THE Tories are shamefully fabricating a “mini-riot” over whether Jeremy Corbyn called Theresa May a “stupid woman” senior Labour figures said today.

Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson and shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said the row was overshadowing the rest of politics with fewer than 100 days until Brexit.

During Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, TV cameras had caught him saying something inaudible to those opposite him after Ms May likened his tabling of a confidence vote in her to a Christmas pantomime, while making panto-themed jokes.

He was recalled to the Commons immediately after the session ended over the incident, and he told MPs he used the phrase “stupid people.”

Opposition MPs had criticised the fake outrage over the allegation of misogyny that a number of prominent Conservative MPs were themselves guilty of, or worse.

Ms Abbott condemned their “contrived, staged behaviour” and said they had “put on a display yesterday which Hackney primary school children would have been ashamed of.”

She told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that Mr Corbyn would always apologise “if he has something to say sorry for.”

She added: “The British people might wonder why the Tories will stage a mini-riot in Parliament over that, but are not staging a mini-riot over the tens of thousands of people who are newly on universal credit and are facing Christmas with no money.”

Mr Watson told Good Morning Britain that it’s “not great” to be focusing on what “Jeremy did or did not say” while elderly people are lonely over Christmas and face losing free TV licences.

This morning, Mr Corbyn accused the media of being “utterly obsessed” with what he said.

“The fact that a homeless man died outside Parliament has got no coverage whatsoever, and it should,” he added.