A Basildon councillor has taken aim at US congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez over the dress she wore to the Met Gala, labelling her a 'hypocrite'.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made headlines at the Met Gala, an annual celebrity fashion extravaganza held in New York City, wearing a white gown emblazoned with a “tax the rich” slogan.

Cllr Andrew Shrader, a Conservative councillor for Billericay East, took to Twitter to take fire at the left-wing Democrat, saying: “It's hard not to admire the sheer brass neck of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez attending the Met Gala wearing this stunning dress.

“Tickets to the Met Gala, Dear Reader, cost $35,000, which is about £20K. Hypocrisy never looked so good, Congresswoman.”

In a post on Instagram, Ocasio-Cortez, widely known by her initials AOC, responded to her critics, stating she had been invited to the event as part of her duties as an elected New York City official and adding she had borrowed the dress.

“The medium is the message,” she wrote.

“NYC elected officials are regularly invited to and attend the Met due to our responsibilities in overseeing our city’s cultural institutions that serve the public. I was one of several in attendance. Dress is borrowed.”

She added: “The time is now for childcare, healthcare, and climate action for all. Tax the Rich.”