Tory Minister Penny Mordaunt launched a fuzzy-headed attack on firefighters battling a higher retirement age yesterday as she accused them of an “incredibly patronising attitude towards older workers.”

She claimed to have taken “great offence” at a Fire Brigades Union ad campaign highlighting her government’s threat to force its members to work until 60.

But her diversionary tactics didn’t wash with opposition MPs who rose in quick succession to take the “intransigent minister” to task.

“When is the government going to stop its politically motivated, disingenuous behaviour in this dispute and genuinely sit down with FBU to settle this?” demanded North West Durham MP Pat Glass.