Brianna Ghey’s father demands apology from Rishi Sunak after ‘shameful’ trans joke – latest

The father of murdered transgender teenager Brianna Ghey has demanded an apology from Rishi Sunak, saying he was “disgusted” with the prime minister’s comments.

Peter Spooner told Sky News Mr Sunak’s remarks during PMQs had been “degrading” and “absolutely dehumanising”. He said: “Identities of people should not be used in that manner, and I personally feel shocked by his comments.”

Mr Spooner added that Mr Sunak “should apologise for his remarks”.

Earlier Keir Starmer met with Brianna Ghey’s mother in a parliament after Rishi Sunak made a “crass” joke about trans people at PMQs.

In an ill-tempered exchange, Mr Sunak accused Labour leader Keir Starmer of U-turning on his definition of a woman, saying it was “a bit rich” to hear about promises from someone who had broken every single promise he was elected on.

Mr Sunak listed “pensions, planning, peerages”, among others, before adding that that the Labour leader had u-turned on “defining a woman, although, in fairness, that was only 99 per cent of a U-turn.”

Mr Starmer replied: “Of all the weeks to say that, when Brianna’s mother is in this chamber. Shame.”

ICYMI: Sunak’s trans joke is a ‘shameful new low’ - Labour MP

A senior Labour MP has described Rishi Sunak’s trans joke as a “shameful new low”.

Anneliese Dodds, shadow women and equalities secretary, said politicians “must do better than this”.

“The prime minister should apologise immediately,” she added.

ICYMI: Starmer ‘weaponising’ trans issues - Badenonch

Business secretary Kemi Badenoch has accussed Keir Starmer of “weaponising” trans issues and linking “his own inability to be clear on the matter of sex and gender directly” to Brianna’s mother’s grief, Kate Devlin reports.

Ms Badenoch has inflamed the row over Rishi Sunak’s crass trans joke by blaming Keir Starmer, accusing him of “political point-scoring”.

In a post on Twitter, formerly known as X, she wrote: “Every murder is a tragedy. None should be trivialised by political point-scoring. As a mother, I can imagine the trauma that Esther Ghey has endured.

“It was shameful of Starmer to link his own inability to be clear on the matter of sex and gender directly to her grief.”

She added: “As Minister for Women and Equalities I’ve done all I can to ensure we have take the heat out of the debate on LGBT issues while being clear about our beliefs and principles.

“Keir Starmer’s behaviour today shows Labour are happy to weaponise this issue when it suits them.”Recap: Uproar over Sunak’s crass trans jibe as Brianna Ghey’s mother visits Commons

Rishi Sunak provoked outrage by joking about the “definition of a woman” in the Commons as the mother of murdered trans teenager Brianna Ghey visited parliament.

The prime minister clashed with Keir Starmer over the continuing trans debate at PMQs as Esther Ghey was due to appear in the public gallery just four days after her 16-year-old daughter’s killers were jailed for life.

ICYMI: Not the first time Sunak has attacked Labour on trans issues

This is not the first time the prime minister has attacked Labour over the issue of gender identity policies, which have been a frequent subject of debate in Westminster in recent years.

LGBT+ campaigners have condemned some of the language used by politicians to discuss trans people, with the issue often drawn into the so-called “culture war” by right-wingers.

In his Tory conference speech last year, Mr Sunak told Conservative delegates in Manchester: “We shouldn’t get bullied into believing that people can be any sex they want to be.“We come to this place as elected representatives to improve the condition of others, do we not? And at a time when the trans community are facing unprecedented attacks from people in this place, from people in the other place, and from the media, it is incumbent upon as all to reflect on our language, on how we approach these issues and how we talk about the trans and non-binary community.