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

The father of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey has demanded an apology from Rishi Sunak after he made a “dehumanising” transgender joke in the Commons while the victim’s mother visited parliament.

Peter Spooner said he was “shocked” by the jibe made during Prime Minister’s Questions, in which the PM accused Sir Keir Starmer of having difficulty in “defining a woman”.

The remarks have prompted an immediate backlash but Mr Sunak has so far refused to apologise, with Downing Street later insisting the comments were “totally legitimate” and not transphobic.

Mr Spooner told Sky News: “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.”

The prime minister’s mockery of Keir Starmer on trans rights – when the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey was in the Commons gallery – exposed his lack of a sixth political sense, writes John Rentoul.

Read John’s piece in full here:

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 and just four days after her 16-year-old daughter’s killers were jailed for life.

The prime minister faced further calls to apologise for his joke in the Commons, which was described as transphobic by an SNP MP.

Raising a point of order, Hannah Bardell (Livingston) said: “Thank you very much madame deputy speaker… for granting me the opportunity to raise concerns and say how horrified I was during Prime Minister’s Questions to hear the prime minister on his feet during LGBT history month, and on a day when Brianna Ghey’s mother was in parliament, to make a transphobic joke across the chamber.

“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.

“I think and I hope she will guide me in how we can make sure the prime minister apologises.”

Tory MP Dehenna Davison has said it is “disappointing” to “hear jokes being made at the trans community’s expense”.

In what would appear to be an implicit criticism of Rishi Sunak over his remarks in the Commons earlier, the Bishop Auckland MP said in a post on X, formerly Twitter: “Wasn’t in parliament today thanks to a migraine attack so have just caught up on PMQs.

“The debate around trans issues often gets inflamed at the fringes. As politicians, it’s our job to take the heat out of such debates and focus on finding sensible ways forward, whilst ensuring those involved are treated with respect.

“Given some of the terrible incidences of transphobia we have seen lately, this need for respect feels more crucial than ever.

“That’s why it was disappointing to hear jokes being made at the trans community’s expense. Our words in the house resonate right across our society, and we all need to remember that.”

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, Kate Devlin reports.

Peter Spooner told Sky News the PM’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”.

Jeremy Hunt has denied that Rishi Sunak made a joke about trans people during Prime Minister’s Questions and appeared to suggest the prime minister would not apologise.

The chancellor accused BBC political editor Chris Mason of taking Mr Sunak’s comments “out of context” after the PM said Labour leader Keir Starmer had U-turned on “defining a woman – although in fairness, that was only 99 per cent of a U-turn”.

Mr Starmer previously said 99.9 per cent of women “haven’t got a penis”.

Mr Hunt said: “If you had listened, as I did, to what he said, he could not have been clearer in the respect he has for Brianna Ghey’s mother in the face of unspeakable tragedy.

After it was put to Mr Hunt that the PM chose to deliver a “political punchline” about trans people, and had been “questioning what is a woman and what isn’t a woman”, the chancellor said: “The point he was making in PMQs was that we have a Labour Party that cannot make its mind up about the big issues”.

When asked if the PM should apologise, Mr Hunt said: “Well he made it clear the respect he has for Brianna Ghey’s mother”. You can watch some of the exchange below:

The prime minister’s mockery of Keir Starmer on trans rights – when the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey was in the Commons gallery – exposed his lack of a sixth political sense, writes John Rentoul.

Read John’s piece in full here:

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.

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.”