Rishi Sunak has doubled down in the face of left-wing criticism about yesterday’s PMQs attack on Sir Keir’s flip-flopping. In an interview this afternoon, Rishi Sunak refused to apologise for his criticism of the Labour leader, which included a line about Sir Keir changing his stance on whether women can have penises.
The PM sparked left-wing outrage, however, after making the trans reference at the same time as mother of murdered teen Brianna Ghey was visiting parliament.
After having welcomed Esther Ghey to the public gallery, a furious Sir Keir rose and condemned the PM’s joke.
He said: “Of all the weeks to say that, when Brianna’s mother is in this Chamber, shame!
“Parading as a man of integrity, when he’s got absolutely no responsibility. Absolute shame.”
Asked by Sky News this lunchtime whether he would bow to Brianna Ghey’s father’s call for an apology, Mr Sunak pivoted to criticising the Labour leader.
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 it was inspiring and 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.
He added Sir Keir’s politicising of the tragedy “represents the worst of politics”.
Asked if he’d honour Brianna Ghey’s father’s call for an apology, Mr Sunak added it was “very clear” he’d been talking about the Labour leader’s flip-flopping, and mocking the tragedy.
A cabinet split has emerged over the row, however, with Kemi Badenoch and Penny Mordaunt taking opposite sides.
Yesterday Ms Badenoch, the Equalities Secretary, came to Mr Sunak’s defence and attacked Sir Keir as “shameful”.
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.
This morning, Leader of the Commons Penny Mordaunt appeared to wag a finger at the PM, saying politicians “owe it to the people who sent us here to strive every day to make them proud of us and this place”.
She told MPs that Mr Sunak “is a good and caring man. I’m sure he has reflected on things and I understand he will say something later today or perhaps even during his session”.
