Nicky Morgan replaced by handbag on Have I Got News For You after a late cancellation

Tory MPs criticise Ms Morgan for owning a £950 Mulberry handbag – which she says was a gift – following the so-called 'Trousergate' scandal

A brown leather handbag was placed next to panellist Paul Merton in Ms Morgan's place after Tory MPs criticised her for owning a designer Mulberry handbag worth some £950 (PA)

Former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan was replaced by a handbag on the last edition of the BBC's satirical news quiz Have I Got News For You.

The Tory MP for Loughborough, who has been embroiled in the so-called “Trousergate” row since she criticised Theresa May's decision to wear a pair of £995 leather trousers during a photo-shoot for a newspaper, pulled out of filming the satirical panel show due to “unforeseen circumstances”.

A brown leather handbag was placed next to panellist Paul Merton in her place after Tory MPs backing the Prime Minister pointed to the fact that Ms Morgan has a designer Mulberry handbag which retails for some £950.

Sources close to the former Cabinet Minister are reported to have said the bag in question is more than a decade old and was a gift.

After seeing her replacement Ms Morgan tweeted: “I'd have donated the original bag if asked – it would have better lines than me.”

Ms Morgan, who the Prime Minister sacked as Education Secretary, expressed doubts over the Prime Minister's decision to wear the Amanda Wakeley-designed “bitter chocolate” trousers for the photo-shoot.

The move forced Ms May to deny she was out of touch and prompted a top aide to bar Ms Morgan from a No 10 meeting about Brexit.

Ms Morgan had been booked to appear on the BBC show, the last in the current series, since September alongside host Gary Lineker and comedian Jon Richardson.

Additional reporting by PA