Kemi Badenoch refuses to apologise after claiming Labour was being called a ‘paedo defenders party’

Kemi Badenoch has said she will “absolutely not apologize” for claiming Labor was branded a “party of paedo defenders” during Prime Minister’s Questions.

During the weekly call on Wednesday, the Conservative leader directly challenged Sir Keir Starmer, saying he “should ask why his friends say they are called ‘the party of paedo defenders'”.

His controversial prank comes after a report Times, It details how female Labor MPs reported to Sir Keir earlier this month that voters were “screaming” on the street, linking the phrase to the Peter Mandelson scandal.

Ms Badenoch’s remarks have since come under severe criticism from Labor MP Natalie Fleet, who was well-groomed in her youth, and Katie Amess, daughter of murdered Conservative MP Sir David Amess.

Ms Fleet told LBC her use of the term was “truly disgusting” and suggested it endangered Labor activists.

He said: “There are hundreds of thousands of political activists, including from Labor and other parties, who want to make the country a better place, and to throw around language like that just because it might get you extra votes is truly disgusting.”

Ms Amess said it was “very provocative” and called for Ms Badenoch to apologize, adding: “Unfortunately that is not the way our politicians should be speaking.”

But Ms Badenoch, who appeared on LBC by phone on Wednesday evening, stood by her comments.

He said: “I will make absolutely no apologies.

“I remember Keir Starmer and Labor putting up posters saying Rishi Sunak was supporting pedophiles to avoid jail.

“These people know how to cook food, but they don’t want to buy it.”

Ms Badenoch refused to say whether she thought Labor was a party of “paedo apologists”, saying: “Those were not my words, a female Labor MP used that language.”

He added: “If they held themselves to higher standards no one would call them that.”