The editorial boss of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey’s local newspaper has hit out at Prime Minister Rishi Sunak after what was seen as an anti-trans jibe in the Commons.

Brianna, who transitioned to a girl as a teenager, was brutally stabbed to death by two classmates, with transphobia being cited among the reasons for the attack.

Her mother, Esther, was in the House of Commons yesterday as Mr Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer clashed at Prime Minister’s Questions.

During the exchange, Mr Sunak ridiculed Sir Keir for allegedly having changed his mind on the ‘definition of a woman’ – a comment seen by the Labour side as transphobic.

A visibly furious Sir Keir responded saying: “Of all the weeks to say that when Brianna’s mother is in this chamber.”

And Richard Duggan, Newsquest’s regional editor for the North West, whose titles include Brianna’s local paper the Warrington Guardian, accused the Prime Minister of “disgusting behaviour.”

Richard, pictured, told HTFP: “Rishi Sunak has shown time and again he doesn’t care about Trans people; his comments at PMQs, said while Esther Ghey was sat just a short distance away, are a classic example of the disdain he holds vulnerable minorities in.

“He’s had the opportunity to apologise and he’s chosen not to.

“I hope more politicians educate themselves about the Trans community and back the campaign launched by Esther and the Warrington Guardian.”

As previously reported on HTFP, the Guardian has worked alongside Esther to establish the Peace in Mind campaign to create a legacy for her daughter and has so far helped raised £40,000 to support schoolchildren on its patch.

Support for the initiative today came from Sir Keir’s predecessor as Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn.

Posting on X, he said: “Trans people are not a cheap punchline. They are human beings who deserve to live happily and peacefully as they truly are.

“Please consider donating to Esther Ghey’s fundraiser, set up in memory of her daughter Brianna.”

Richard responded: “Thank you for backing the campaign launched by the Warrington Guardian and Esther Ghey in memory of Brianna Ghey – let’s hope more politicians follow suit following Rishi Sunak’s disgusting behaviour today.”

Birmingham Live editor Graeme Brown also hit out saying: “It’s the hatred propagated by people like Rishi Sunak that created the febrile environment trans people often have to face. Brianna Ghey paid for this with her life.

“Even if he apologised it’d be meaningless – he planned to say this.

“Anyone who wants to chronicle the lowest Rishi Sunak has fallen, it was today. An entirely inexcusable and sickening thing to say.

“He had time to prepare something, and came up with antagonising a community in need of support AND the mother of a murdered child.”

Defending the Prime Minister’s comments, Downing Street said it was “legitimate” to question Sir Keir’s position on transgender issues.

Asked if his comment was transphobic, his press secretary said: “I don’t accept that at all.”

Mr Sunak had listed a series if what he claimed were Labour U-turns, saying Sir Keir had changed his position on the “definition of a woman – although in fairness, that was only 99% of a U-turn”.

His comments referred to an interview in which Sir Keir had said “99.9% of women haven’t got a penis”.

A spokeswoman for Sir Keir said: “We don’t think the country wants or deserves a prime minister who is happy to use minorities as a punch bag.

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

Esther Ghey was not in the Commons’ public gallery for the exchange but entered shortly afterwards.

Brianna’s two attackers, Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe, were last week jailed for her murder.