Kemi Badenoch has intervened to defend Rishi Sunak after a PMQs attack on Sir Keir Starmer led to furious criticism.
Amid the usual verbal insults traded between the PM and the Leader of the Opposition, Sir Keir was slammed for “breaking every single promise he was elected on” by Mr Sunak.
The PM continued: “I think I counted almost 30 in the last year: pensions, planning, peerages, public sector pay, tuition fees, child care, second referendums, defining a woman”.
“Although in fairness that was only 99 percent of a U-turn!
“The list goes on but the theme is the same, Mr Speaker: empty words, broken promises and absolutely no plan.”
At the end of the attack, Keir Starmer was seen shaking with fury, getting to his feet and lambasting Mr Sunak for the trans jibe while the mother of murdered trans teen Brianna Ghey was watching from the Commons public gallery.
He slammed the Prime Minister: “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.”
Mr Sunak was subsequently panned by the left. Labour MP Jess Phillips tweeted: “Rishi Sunak is an absolute disgrace. Deplorable man with no heart, no sense, no clue”.
“The sooner we are rid the better.”
Hard-left MP Nadia Whittome also described the trans jibe as “absolutely sickening”.
However this afternoon Kemi Badenoch stepped in to defend Mr Sunak, describing Keir Starmer’s attempt to capitalise on the moment as “shameful”.
The no-nonsense Equalities Secretary 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.
“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.”
Following PMQs, Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman refused to apologise.
They added: “I think if you look back at what the PM was saying, there was a long list of U-turns the leader of the opposition had been making,”
Asked if the “joke” was appropriate they doubled down: “I don’t think those u-turns are a joke”.
“I think it was quite serious changes in public policy. I think it’s totally legitimate to point those out.”
