Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer has been criticised after evaluating a brand new 25-year-old MP to The Inbetweeners.

Mr Mercer referenced the present - which Channel 4 describes as "an adolescent comedy about lads behaving sadly" - in an interview with Sky News after Labour's Keir Mather gained the seat of Selby and Ainsty from the Tories.

But he has confronted a backlash, with Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer overheard calling the minister a "silly sod" who would "soon be history".

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Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry additionally described Mr Mercer as a "twit", telling Sky News the comment was "ridiculous" and if voters needed to offer him an opportunity, "what's the matter with this guy?".

She added: "You should have people representing this country from all backgrounds, all walks of life and, frankly, every generation.

"There is nice intergenerational injustice on this nation. Youngsters are having a extremely exhausting time and they should have a superb robust voice."

Mr Mather will turn into the youngest MP within the Commons - nicknamed "the baby of the House" - when he enters parliament after the summer time recess.

His historic win in North Yorkshire noticed Labour overturn a majority of 20,137 - the biggest majority ever reversed at a by-election.

Before being elected, he labored as a senior public affairs adviser for the Confederation of British Industry and earlier than that, he was a parliamentary researcher for shadow well being secretary Wes Streeting.

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Asked by Sky News' deputy political editor Sam Coates this morning whether or not he welcomed "an injection of youth into parliament", Mr Mercer replied: "I think it's always good to get new people in politics, but I think we mustn't become a repeat of The Inbetweeners."

The Inbetweeners was a Channel 4 comedy about 4 socially awkward teenage boys throughout their time in sixth kind.

Asked what he meant by the comparability, Mr Mercer stated: "You've got to have people who have actually done stuff. This guy has been at Oxford University more than he's been in a job.

"You put a chip in him there and he simply relays Labour traces, and the issue is folks have form of had sufficient of that."

Sitting beside him in the Sky News election studio, Labour's Baroness Chapman accused Mr Mercer of being "disrespectful" to the people of Selby and Ainsty, adding: "There is such a factor as being gracious in defeat, Johnny."

Mr Mather's mother, Jill Tambarros, also defended her son after his significant victory, telling Sky News he had "seen one thing of life" and had quite a few jobs.