With only nine days left until the general election, tensions are flying high and parties are under more scrutiny than ever. Labour’s muddled messaging on the gender debate has ignited heated discussions on the treatment of gender-critical feminists by Sir Keir Starmer’s party – namely one of his own colleagues Rosie Duffield – and has prompted the likes of renowned author and women’s rights activist JK Rowling to speak out.
Now Conservative politician Kemi Badenoch, who is also the women and equalities minister, has hit out at Labour – and former Doctor Who actor David Tennant. On receiving a prize at the British LGBT Awards, Tennant took aim at Badenoch after lamenting concerns raised by women’s rights groups over the trans debate:
If I’m honest, I’m a little depressed by the fact that acknowledging that everyone has the right to be who they want to be and live their life how they want to live it – as long as they’re not hurting anyone else – should merit any kind of special award or special mention because it’s common sense, isn’t it?
The Doctor Who star continued:
However, until we wake up and we live in a world where Kemi Badenoch doesn’t exist anymore… I don’t wish ill of her, I just wish her to shut up. While we do live in this world, I am honoured to receive this.
Good heavens. The actor’s remarks come after the women and equalities minister pledged to amend the Equality Act if her party wins the election, to ensure that ‘sex in the law means biological sex’. Badenoch is rather unimpressed, however, taking to Twitter this afternoon to issue a retort to Tennant – and a warning for voters:
I will not shut up. I will not be silenced by men who prioritise applause from Stonewall over the safety of women and girls. A rich, lefty, white male celebrity so blinded by ideology he can’t see the optics of attacking the only black woman in government by calling publicly for my existence to end…
Tennant is one of Labour’s celebrity supporters. This is an early example of what life will be like if they win. Keir Starmer stood by while Rosie Duffield was hounded. He and his supporters will do the same with the country. Do not let the bigots and bullies win.
Badenoch isn’t the only one irritated by the performer’s comments. For Women Scotland have since described Tennant’s remarks as ‘nasty, petty and vicious’ while Olympian Sharron Davies blasted the actor for ‘his virtue-signalling misogyny’. It doesn’t look like Tennant’s jibes have done him – or Labour – many favours…
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