The PM continues to demonstrate amazingly poor taste!

BlueBelle

And I believe he’s refused to apologise even though the father asked him to

Just cos someone asks for an apology doesn’t always mean that they deserve one.
Am no Sunak or Tory follower but think Starmer seized on the comment by Sunak to make political outrage at the expense of Mrs Ghey.She and her DH are now drawn into this situation.
No doubt fuelled by friends and certain journos Mr Ghey is now demanding an apology.Sunak had already made a statement saying how awful the case was and praising Mrs Ghey.The comments made to Starmer were about several policies and a jibe about not knowing what a woman was, which tbh worries me and I hope Starmer takes women’s concerns more seriously once in number ten.
The most you could say is that it was unfortunate on that particular day, but politics and policies can’t not be talked of no matter who is visiting Parliament.
Both Sunak and Starmer made very positive statements about the sad case, but it’s to be remembered that there are so many awful stabbings to death by teenagers of other teenagers, for all sorts of reasons that never even get a mention by politicians.

He has nothing to apologise for, unlike Starmer.

And I believe he’s refused to apologise even though the father asked him to

Tim Fox of the Times, has highlighted how Sunak has all his quips written out in advance, highlighted for response against topics Starmer is likely to bring up. So it was a planned attack - and given it was known Mrs Ghey was due in the HoC, it shows his advisors have no empathy whatsoever, either!

It seems the ‘other comment’ had little impact - given the repeated request to know what it was. But then, Sunak supporters do need to divert attention, just like his MPs have done following PMQs.

What “other” comment!

I agree NoraBone. Is it any wonder that many young people struggling with their gender identity feel ostracised and marginalised, leading to mental health problems and even suicide, when the transgender issue is publicly mocked by the most powerful people in the land. I wish these politicians would grow up!

MaizieD

Poppyred

I’m sure Brianna’s mum did not take Rishi Sunak’s the wrong way, she has more common sense. But hey ho, this is the way of the world now. Let’s take offence about anything and everything and score points against one another.
I’m sure that Starmer choosing to make the comment about Brianna is far more upsetting and totally unnecessary.

Which comment did Starmer make that was 'upsetting and totally unnecessary'?

This one? That he made at the start of PMQs?

^This week, the unwavering bravery of Brianna Ghey’s mother, Esther, has touched us all. As a father I can’t even imagine the pain that she’s going through. And I’m glad that she’s with us in the gallery here today,”^

No, the other one.

Poppyred

I’m sure Brianna’s mum did not take Rishi Sunak’s the wrong way, she has more common sense. But hey ho, this is the way of the world now. Let’s take offence about anything and everything and score points against one another.
I’m sure that Starmer choosing to make the comment about Brianna is far more upsetting and totally unnecessary.

Which comment did Starmer make that was 'upsetting and totally unnecessary'?

This one? That he made at the start of PMQs?

This week, the unwavering bravery of Brianna Ghey’s mother, Esther, has touched us all. As a father I can’t even imagine the pain that she’s going through. And I’m glad that she’s with us in the gallery here today,”

Poppyred Well put.

I’m sure Brianna’s mum did not take Rishi Sunak’s the wrong way, she has more common sense. But hey ho, this is the way of the world now. Let’s take offence about anything and everything and score points against one another.
I’m sure that Starmer choosing to make the comment about Brianna is far more upsetting and totally unnecessary.

I’m also a little bemused about “broken promises” from an opposition party??

Oreo

MaizieD
Smileless2012
I agree GrannyGravy and think I'm right that the fact she was trans did not motivate this appalling act.
Not according to the account I read. Trans was a contributory issue.
The girl who was convicted for the murder had a list of various other teenagers on a kill list, non were transgender.

Brianna was selected because she was considered “easy prey” and because she was vulnerable. Of course this was linked to her being transgender.

Whilst I don’t think Sunak meant to be in any way insulting to this family, I think he should have chosen his words more carefully, and, for goodness sake, how many more times are we going to drag up Starmer’s ill thought out answer to a ridiculous question? Our MPs on all sides should think more before they answer and frankly I’m sick and tired of all their jibes.

Galaxy

I would quite like there to be some adults present when we try to discuss complex issues. They seem to be in short supply in both parties.

I was about to say the same.

It would be good to think that we had grownups in charge of the country. ☹
It's all very Yah boo sucks

Motivated me to write to my MP (only the second time I've been so inclined). The remark was made as a cheap shot, a jibe at Labour Party and their "missed promises". My correspondence includes - To be so unaware (or uncaring) of what hurt and pain that “joke” must certainly cause the mother of the child that was brutally murdered can only demonstrate that Mr Sunak is entirely lacking in compassion or empathy.

It truly isn't important if Brianna's mother was there in person, although she'd certainly have been in the building. It was just a rubbish remark to make. In full -

“I think I counted almost 30 (missed promises from the Labour Party) in the last year: pensions, planning, peerages, public sector pay, tuition fees, childcare, second referendums, defining a woman – although in fairness that was only 99% of a U-turn. The list goes on but the theme is the same. It’s empty words, broken promises and absolutely no plan.”

And the laughing, sniggering masses behind Sunak - a bad day for the Conservative Party.

They are in the House of Lords Galaxy.

I would quite like there to be some adults present when we try to discuss complex issues. They seem to be in short supply in both parties.

I am getting to the point where I now think that PMQ’s has had its day.

It achieves nothing, neither front benches appear to know how to behave, and the party leaders use it as a form of oneupmanship.

foxie48 Has it ever been different? When PMQT was first televised, I found the behaviour of MPs was unbelievable. I couldn't agree more; the silly sniping, name calling, point scoring - you do wonder how any business ever gets through the Commons. I had tickets for the Strangers Gallery on one occasion, so that my then young children could see democracy in action. We sat there for several hours watching MPs shouting, walking in and out, standing around the doors and the Speaker's chair talking while another MP was on his feet addressing the House; it was hardly a good lesson.

I am totally sick of this constant point scoring and hearing the leaders and wannabe leaders of our country behaving like name calling schoolboys. Nothing that I heard of this spat gave me confidence that the country is (or will be) being run by intelligent compassionate people. The behaviour of those we have given great power to just gets worse.

Greta

Sunak started this. I wish he would just answer the questions and stop deflecting. Does he think he is the opposition party? He immediately starts attacking Starmer and the labour party. I believe the Conservatives now have a new mantra: "They have no plan".

And this is a very good (and more important) point too.

Regardless of whether Mrs Ghey was in the public gallery or not, Sunak’s trivialising of the transgender issue by joking about it in order to ‘get at’ Starmer, is totally reprehensible. Sunak was not ‘discussing’ the issue - he was ridiculing it. The uncaring behaviour of Tory MPs seems to know no bounds. At a recent PMQs many of them laughed when Starmer recounted the situation of a man who worked in Iceland and was struggling financially. Why did they find that so funny - disgraceful behaviour! Shame on these people!

I am not happy with Labour’s stance on trans issues and their intersection with women’s rights, but I think Starmer was in the right here.

Sunak’s comment was crass, and as I understand it Ms Ghey could have been in the gallery - neither of them knew that she had been held up. Sunak’s speech writer had fed him a ‘hilarious’ joke at Starmer’s expense (presumably written before it was known that Ms Ghey was planning to be there), and he wasn’t adaptable enough to go off-script and edit it as he went. That in itself doesn’t show high levels of intelligence or empathy, and I think it was right that he was pulled up for it.

To me it shows that Starmer is able to think quickly on his feet, and Sunak has to stick to a script regardless of changing circumstances. If you live by scoring points, you risk dying from your opponent scoring points I guess. Luckily this was another rather pointless spat at PMQs and not an exchange requiring quick thinking on the global stage. I also think he should have the grace to apologise to Brianna’s mother (who is, I suspect, well able to rise above it all anyway).

Sunak started this. I wish he would just answer the questions and stop deflecting. Does he think he is the opposition party? He immediately starts attacking Starmer and the labour party. I believe the Conservatives now have a new mantra: "They have no plan".

Not a good time for Sunak to have mentioned that alongside all the other flip flops, but Starmer was in the wrong here.

He made it about Brianna.
He chose to make it about something that could upset Brianna’s mum if she was there.
I wish he’d plucked up the courage to say that he understands what a woman is, so Sunak couldn’t use it.
What is Starmer so afraid of?