Rishi Sunak asked to apologise after trans remark while Brianna Ghey's mum was in parliament

Rishi Sunak has been strongly criticised after he made a remark about “defining gender” while the mother of murdered transgender teenager Brianna Ghey was in parliament.

The comment sparked fury from opposition benches, with cries of “shame” being heard as Esther Ghey was about to enter the public gallery in the House of Commons.

The Prime Minister made the comment during PMQs as he criticised Labour for making U-turns.

The Tory leader said Keir Starmer had “broken every single promise he was elected on” as leader.

“I think I have counted almost 30 in the last year,” he said. “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 is empty words, broken promises and absolutely no plan.”

Brianna Ghey was murdered when she was 16 years old. GoFundMe

Starmer replied: “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.”

He added: “I think the role of the Prime Minister is to ensure that every single citizen in this country feels safe and respected, it’s a shame that the Prime Minister doesn’t share that.”

It was initially thought that Esther was in the gallery but she had entered shortly after the comment was made.

Speaker of the House, Lindsay Hoyle, and Starmer had already paid tribute to the Ghey’s mother at the start of PMQs.

Starmer opened the session by telling MPs: “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 is going through and I am glad that she is with us in the gallery here today.”

Keir Starmer criticised the Prime Minister for his comments. UK Parliament

Labour MP Liz Twist had asked Sunak if he would consider apologising to Brianna Ghey’s mother “for his insensitive comments” but he did not respond.

At the end of PMQs, Sunak later paid tribute to Ghey’s mother, saying she has shown the “very best of humanity”.

He said: “If I could just say also to Brianna Ghey’s mother who is here, as I said earlier this week, what happened was an unspeakable and shocking tragedy.

“As I said earlier this week, in the face of that, for her mother to demonstrate the compassion and empathy that she did last weekend, I thought demonstrated the very best of humanity in the face of seeing the very worst of humanity.

“She deserves all our admiration and praise for that.”

Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe were both 15 when they killed Brianna, 16, with a hunting knife after luring her to Linear Park, Culcheth, a village near Warrington, Cheshire, on February 11 last year.

They were both handed life sentences for the “sadistic” murder, with the judge saying Jenkinson must serve a minimum of 22 years before parole and Ratcliffe 20 years.

Jenkinson had “enjoyed” the killing, the excitement causing her to stab Brianna more times and she found the thought of violence “sexually arousing,” with a desire to kill again, Manchester Crown Court heard.

Her accomplice Ratcliffe had also expressed transphobia about his victim, Justice Yip ruled.

The judge said the “exceptionally brutal” murder had elements of both sadism by Jenkinson and transphobic hate on the part of Ratcliffe.