RISHI Sunak is refusing to apologise for a “crass” joke he made about transgender people during Prime Minister’s Questions.
During an exchange with Labour leader Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister attempted to skewer his opponent over the breaking of previous campaign promises.
He said: “We are bringing the waiting lists down for the longest waiters and making progress, but it is a bit rich to hear about promises from someone who has broken every single promise he was elected on.
“I think I have counted almost 30 in the last year. Pensions, planning, peerages, public sector pay, tuition fees, childcare, second referendums, defining a woman, although in fairness that was only 99% of a U-turn.”
READ MORE: Rishi Sunak makes trans jibe in front of Brianna Ghey's mum
Starmer then highlighted that Esther Ghey, the mother of murdered transgender teenager Brianna Ghey, was watching from the Commons gallery.
It was later confirmed that Esther Ghey was not in the public gallery for the exchange but entered shortly afterwards.
“Of all the weeks to say that, when Brianna’s mother is in this chamber,” he said.
“Shame. Parading as a man of integrity when he’s got absolutely no responsibility.”
Downing Street has since doubled down on the comments and insisted the joke was not transphobic despite opposition parties calling for an apology.
Sunak’s press secretary said the comments were part of a “legitimate” criticism of Labour.
“If you look back on what the Prime Minister was saying, there was a long list of U-turns that the leader of the opposition had been making," they said.
“I don’t think those U-turns are a joke, it is quite serious changes in public policy. I think it is totally legitimate for the Prime Minister to point those out.”
Women and Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch (below) accused Labour of attempting to “weaponise” the issue in a post on social media.
She said: “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.”
During the launch of her leadership bid in 2022, Badenoch banned gender-neutral toilets and had handwritten signs attached to the door of the venue’s lavatories which read “men” and “ladies”.
Brianna Ghey's father, Peter Spooner, said he was "shocked" by the jibe and called on the Prime Minister to apologise.
He said: “As the Prime Minister for our country to come out with degrading comments like he did, regardless of them being in relation to discussions in Parliament, they are absolutely dehumanising.
“Identities of people should not be used in that manner, and I personally feel shocked by his comments and feel he should apologise for his remarks.”
LGBT+ charity Stonewall called Sunak’s words “cheap, callous and crass”.
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A spokesperson said: “The disrespect and dehumanisation of trans people that we see played out daily in the media and in our political discourse has real-life consequences and it has to stop.
“We call on the Prime Minister to apologise unreservedly for his comments, and for him to reflect on how careless words from those in power can and do result in harm.”
Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon also condemned the "terrible" comments, adding that Starmer himself was not immune from criticism on the issue of transgender rights.
She said: "Let’s not kid ourselves – had Brianna’s mum not been there today, no-one (including Keir Starmer) would have batted an eyelid.
“It’s not good enough to stand against transphobia only when the mother of a murdered trans girl might be listening. It needs to be done all of the time.”
First Minister Humza Yousaf has also called on Sunak to apologise.
He added: "This week, Rishi Sunak has literally gambled on the lives of the most vulnerable and today used one of our most marginalised communities as a punching bag.
"He has debased the Office of Prime Minister. He should do the decent thing and apologise to the family of Brianna Ghey."
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