Minister defends Sunak’s transgender jibe amid calls for apology

The father of Brianna Ghey, a murdered teenager, has requested an apology from the prime minister regarding Rishi Sunak's derogatory comment about the transgender community. However, a government minister has stepped in to support and justify Sunak's actions.

During an appearance on BBC Breakfast, Chris Philp, who serves as the minister responsible for policing, claimed that Chancellor Rishi Sunak had not mentioned any specific transgender individuals in his comments. Philp stated that Sunak was actually highlighting the inconsistency of the Labour party in his remarks.

There is currently a lot of pressure on Sunak to issue an apology for a joke he made about transgender individuals during prime minister's questions on Wednesday. This incident occurred shortly after Labour leader Keir Starmer informed Sunak that Esther Ghey, the mother of Brianna, was in the public gallery.

Last year in February, Brianna, who identified as transgender, was enticed to a park in Cheshire and tragically killed by two teenagers. On Wednesday, Starmer greeted Esther Ghey in Parliament and commended her for her unwavering courage. He then posed a question to Sunak pertaining to the NHS queue.

The prime minister addressed the Commons by pointing out the unfulfilled promises of the Labour party. He mentioned that he identified almost 30 broken pledges in the last year which included pensions, planning, public sector payment, tuition fees, childcare, second referendums, and defining a woman. Although, he clarified that the latter only partially changed.

The remark sparked strong reactions from opposing Members of Parliament, who demanded that Sunak express regret. Starmer, visibly agitated, retorted, "Of all the times to utter that statement, especially since Brianna's mother is present in this chamber."

Brianna's dad, Peter Spooner, thinks Sunak's comment was terrible and thinks he should say sorry. He told Sky News that the prime minister's remarks were really insulting, even if they were about discussions in parliament. He said they made people feel like they weren't even human.

When confronted with inquiries regarding the dispute, Philp refused to answer on six separate occasions during his appearance on BBC Breakfast, stating whether he believed that Sunak's comment was fitting or showed respect.

When Philp was asked if he meant Brianna's dad didn't get what the prime minister said, he replied saying he felt really bad to see Spooner's answer. Philp also said that he has a lot of respect for how Brianna's dad is feeling since he's going through a tough time.

He claimed that the prime minister was attempting to score political points against Labour, and that Starmer was mistaken in referencing Brianna following Sunak's comment.

During an interview with BBC Radio 4 Today programme, Philp emphasized the importance of having a civil public discourse. He stated that he felt Keir Starmer's decision to bring up Brianna as a topic during the next question was incorrect, as Rishi Sunak had not mentioned any specific individuals.

Sunak has expressed his willingness to meet Esther Ghey, but no official confirmation of the meeting has been announced to the public.

Even though a few members of the Conservative Party have expressed disapproval towards Sunak's statement, the minister in charge of equality, Kemi Badenoch, called out Starmer for attempting to exploit the tragic death of Brianna for his own political gain.

Philp stated during an interview with Times Radio that the prime minister's intention was to highlight Keir Starmer's frequent changes in opinion, known as flip-flops and U-turns. The prime minister listed approximately ten examples of these changes made by Starmer. Furthermore, Philp stated that Starmer is reportedly making another change today regarding £28 billion of funding that appears to be disappearing or changing direction. Some have even claimed that the policy can be implemented with no cost or something similar, which Philp deems nonsensical.

Therefore, the Prime Minister attempted to emphasize Keir Starmer's inconsistencies and sudden changes in opinion, which in my opinion, was a reasonable action to take.

In broader terms, it is crucially important for individuals in the public sphere, including journalists, politicians, and others, to exercise prudence and tact when dealing with controversial and delicate topics. This applies specifically to the choice of language they use to address such matters.