LABOUR slammed Prime Minister Rishi Sunak for “deeply offensive” remarks mocking Keir Starmer on trans issues while the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey was in the gallery.

Reeling off a list of issues on which Sir Keir has shifted position, Mr Sunak included “defining a woman, although in fairness that was only 99 per cent of a U-turn,” understood to be a reference to the Labour leader’s previous statement that 99.9 per cent of women do not have a penis.

Sir Keir immediately denounced him, saying: “Of all the weeks to say that; when Brianna’s mother is in the chamber. Shame.

“Parading as a man of integrity when he’s got absolutely no responsibility.”

Brianna Ghey, a young trans woman, was brutally murdered in Warrington last year. Two teenagers, one of whom held transphobic views, have been convicted of the crime.

Mr Sunak ignored an explicit call by Labour MP Liz Twist for him to apologise. 

At the end of question time, however, doubtless aware that he had blundered, he lavished praise on Esther Ghey, saying that she “represented the best of humanity” in her response to Brianna’s killing.

Campaign group Stonewall said the Prime Minister’s remarks had been “cheap, callous and crass” and demanded an unreserved apology.

A Labour spokesperson said afterwards: “We don’t think that the country wants a prime minister happy to use minorities as a punch bag.

“The comments were deeply offensive to trans people, and he should reflect on his response and apologise.”

No 10 doubled down on the issue, declining to apologise and insisting that “there was a long list of U-turns that the leader of the opposition had been making.

“It is totally legitimate for the prime minister to point those out,” a spokeswoman said, although she was unable to explain why the Prime Minister had ploughed ahead with that particular example once told of Ms Ghey’s presence.