Sunak refuses to apologise to Brianna Ghey’s parents 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.”

Mr Sunak said it was “sad and wrong” to link his comments at Prime Minister’s Questions to Brianna Ghey’s case.

He said: “Like everyone, I was completely shocked by Brianna’s case. To have your child taken from you in such awful circumstances is almost impossible to come to terms with, and for Brianna’s mum to talk with such empathy and compassion about that, I thought, was inspiring and it showed the very best of humanity.

“I’ve nothing but the most heartfelt sympathy for her entire family and friends.

“But to use that tragedy to detract from the very separate and clear point I was making about Keir Starmer’s proven track record of multiple U-turns on major policies, because he doesn’t have a plan, I think is both sad and wrong, and it demonstrates the worst of politics.”

Penny Mordaunt has suggested Rishi Sunak should reflect on his words, following his jibe about transgender people at Prime Minister’s Questions.

The Commons Leader said: “Whatever the rough and tumble of this place, whatever the pressures and mistakes that are made in the heat of political combat, we owe it to the people who sent us here to strive every day to make them proud of us and this place.

“The Prime Minister is a good and caring man. I am sure that he has reflected on things and I understand he will say something later today, or perhaps even during this session.

“That is not just about Mr and Mrs Ghey that he should reflect on, but I am sure he is also reflecting about people who are trans, or who have trans loved ones and family, some of whom sit on these green benches.

“I hope the leader of the Opposition will also reflect on his actions too.”

Rishi Sunak declined to apologise to Brianna Ghey’s father over his transgender joke in the Commons.

The Prime Minister insisted his comments were “absolutely legitimate” because he was pointing out Sir Keir Starmer’s U-turns.

Asked if he would apologise, he told reporters in Cornwall: “If you look at what I said, I was very clear, talking about Keir Starmer’s proven track record of U-turns on major policies because he doesn’t have a plan.

“A point only proven by today’s reports that the Labour Party and Keir Starmer are apparently planning to reverse on their signature economic green spending policy.

“That just demonstrates the point I was making. He’s someone who has just consistently changed his mind on a whole range of major things.

“I think that is an absolutely legitimate thing to point out and it demonstrates that he doesn’t have a plan for the country.”

Downing Street rejected the suggestion the Prime Minister has repeatedly used transgender people as a punchline or a joke.

It comes as Rishi Sunak refuses to apologise to Brianna Ghey’s father after he made a transgender joke at Prime Minister’s Questions.

His official spokesman said: “I wouldn’t accept that he does that. I think, as you can see from the exchange yesterday and in previous exchanges, he’s obviously made political points in relation to the Opposition.

“The Prime Minister, more generally, has always spoken about the need to treat everyone with dignity and respect.”

He added: “I think the Prime Minister has always been clear that everyone should be free to live happy lives, everyone should be treated with dignity and respect. That’s the values that he holds, those are British values.

“He would always call on people to behave that way.”

Emma Mills, Brianna Ghey’s headteacher at Birchwood High School, who accompanied Esther Ghey to Parliament on Wednesday, told BBC Breakfast: “We came in late into the gallery and missed what was said, and I don’t think she’s really had time to look at the context and what exactly was said, and she wants a little bit of time to be able to do that today.

“Yesterday, while we were there, we were just so focused on the mindfulness debate that we were going to and making sure that moves forward in a positive way. That wasn’t something we really discussed yesterday.”

Pressed on whether he was arguing Brianna’s father had misunderstood Mr Sunak’s remark, Mr Philp said: “I have got every respect for, obviously, the views and feelings of a bereaved father.”

He said the Prime Minister “would be very happy” to meet Brianna’s family, and that Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan wanted to speak to Ms Ghey about online safety.

Ms Ghey has been invited to a meeting, though it is not yet confirmed whether or when it will take place.

Other Government ministers have also played down Mr Sunak’s language, while Downing Street has insisted it was not transphobic but part of “totally legitimate” criticism of Labour.

Rishi Sunak is “very keen” to meet murdered teenager Brianna Ghey’s family, a Government minister has said, but there is no sign of the Prime Minister heeding her father’s call for an apology over a transgender joke.

Brianna’s father, Peter Spooner, said Mr Sunak should say sorry for the “degrading” and “dehumanising” remark made during Prime Minister’s Questions.

Mr Sunak had accused Sir Keir Starmer of having difficulty in “defining a woman” during an attack on Labour party U-turns.

But with the mother of Brianna, who was transgender, visiting Parliament, his comment prompted fierce criticism from across the political spectrum.

Policing minister Chris Philp on Thursday defended the Prime Minister’s jibe, telling BBC Breakfast: “The Prime Minister made no reference at all to any individual trans people.

“It was Keir Starmer who introduced that. The Prime Minister was making a point about Labour’s very numerous flip-flops.”

Asked about Mr Spooner’s request for an apology, Mr Philp said he was “very sad” to hear his comments, but suggested people “should actually listen” to the exchange in the House of Commons.

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.”