'Calm down dear', David Cameron tells MP at PMQs heckling

David Cameron sparked a sexism row today by telling a woman shadow Cabinet minister to "calm down, dear".

The Prime Minister's jibe - mimicking the famous car insurance advert starring Michael Winner - was directed at shadow chief secretary to the Treasury Angela Eagle as she heckled him in the Commons.

Labour immediately branded the comment "patronising, sexist, insulting and un-prime ministerial".

It sparked a wave of reaction on Twitter - led by Labour MPs - and on the Mumsnet website.

A messageboard sprung up within seconds, with a poster called Jetgirl saying Mr Cameron "sounded like a patronising idiot". Preggersplayspop wrote "I am shocked, that's patronising and disrespectful."

An aide said: "I think you will find it is a popular advert. I think you are maybe over-analysing a humorous remark." Mr Cameron's comment came at Prime Minister's Questions as he defended the Government's plans to reform the NHS, which he said were even backed by former Labour MP Howard Stoate, a practising GP.

Ms Eagle, seated on the Labour front benches, loudly retorted that Dr Stoate had stood down at last year's election, rather than being defeated as Mr Cameron claimed.

The Prime Minister told the Wallasey MP: "Calm down, dear, calm down. Calm down and listen to the doctor."

As the Labour benches erupted in outrage, shadow chancellor Ed Balls angrily pointed to Ms Eagle and his wife Yvette Cooper, apparently demanding to know who the Prime Minister had been referring to, while party leader Ed Miliband appeared to call for an apology.

But the Prime Minister told them: "I said calm down, calm down dear. I'll say it to you if you like... I'm not going to apologise. You do need to calm down."