Kemi Badenoch stands by Labour ‘paedo defenders’ comment as fury mounts over ‘disgusting’ language at PMQs

During an exchange with Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday, Mrs Badenoch said the Prime Minister should “ask why his backbenchers are saying that they’re being called the ‘paedo defenders party’”.

Her jibe followed reporting that female Labour MPs had told Sir Keir earlier this month that voters had “screamed” the phrase at them in the street over the Peter Mandelson scandal.

Speaking to LBC's Iain Dale during a phone-in on Wednesday evening, the Tory leader stood by her comments, despite facing calls to apologise.

She said: "I'm merely reflecting that people are saying this. I'm not calling them paedo defenders, I'm merely saying that even they are saying they are being called that.

"And saying the language I'm using is disgusting, when I'm merely pointing out a fact. This is shroud waving."

Read more: Row erupts after Kemi Badenoch claims Labour 'being called Paedo Defenders Party'

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Labour MP Natalie Fleet told LBC’s Andrew Marr earlier that Mrs Badenoch’s use of the phrase had been “really upsetting”.

Ms Fleet, who was herself groomed as a teenager, said: “There are hundreds of thousands of political activists, Labour and otherwise, that want to make the country a better place and to just throw language like that around because it might get you some extra votes is just really disgusting.”

Asked if using the phrase put activists “in danger”, Ms Fleet said: “It really does.

“There are good people that tell me that they fear for their own safety when they’re going out knocking on doors and delivering leaflets.”

Katie Amess, the daughter of murdered MP David Amess, also condemned Mrs Badenoch’s ‘paedo defenders party’ jibe towards Labour and called for an apology.

After being played Ms Fleet's comments, Mrs Badenoch accused her of using the cover of language to excuse the fact that people are very angry about them.

She said: "What is the real problem is that the Labour Party has been out making terrible decisions, appointing lots of inappropriate people who have no business whatsoever being in government or being in the House of Lords.

"They're the ones who should be apologising rather than complaining about the language."

"Right now, I am still waiting for the Prime Minister to release the files of how he came to appoint Peter Mandelson, a man who kept that close relationship with a convicted paedophile," Mrs Badenoch continued.

"That's the real problem. So let's stop talking about how MPs might be victims and let's talk about the real victims. That's what we need to talk about."

Mrs Badenoch also said: "I will absolutely not apologise. I remember when Keir Starmer and the Labour Party were putting out posters saying Rishi Sunak was supporting paedophiles so that they wouldn't go to prison.

"Okay, so these people know how to dish it, but they don't want to take it."