RISHI Sunak has accused Sir Keir Starmer of representing the "worst of politics" by seeking to link his transgender jibe to the case of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey.
The PM also refused to apologise for attacking the Labour leader over his trouble in describing a woman in the presence of Esther, the mother of Brianna, who was transgender.
He said it was "sad and wrong" for the Labour leader to use a "tragedy" to deflect from the fact he does not have a plan.
The PM also insisted it was "absolutely legitimate" for him to highlight Sir Keir's U-turns.
Brianna’s father, Peter Spooner, yesterday demanded Mr Sunak say sorry for the “degrading” and “dehumanising” remark made in the Commons.
From tongue scraping to saying no, here are 12 health trends to try in 2023
During the leaders' exchange at PMQs, Mr Sunak ridiculed Sir Keir for U-turning on "defining a woman".
In response, the Labour chief said: “Of all the weeks to say that, when Brianna’s mother is in this chamber. Shame.”
Speaking today during a visit to Cornwall, Mr Sunak told reporters: “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.”
Asked to respond to Mr Spooner’s demand for an apology, Mr Sunak said his comments had been “absolutely legitimate”.
“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.”
Brianna’s mother had been in Westminster during PMQs with her local MP in Warrington, Charlotte Nichols, as she campaigns for mindfulness lessons to be taught in schools after the killing of her daughter.
It is understood Brianna’s family has now been invited to a meeting about online safety, with the Prime Minister and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan.
Brianna was stabbed to death by teenagers Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe in a Cheshire park last February.
How to de-clutter if you have a beauty stash to last you a lifetime
During their sentencing earlier this month, the judge said the “exceptionally brutal” murder had elements of both sadism on the part of Jenkinson and transphobic hate on the part of Ratcliffe.
Equalities minister Ms Badenoch also hit out at Sir Keir last night, saying: “It was shameful of Starmer to link his own inability to be clear on the matter of sex and gender directly to her grief.
“Keir Starmer’s behaviour today shows Labour are happy to weaponise this issue when it suits them.”
