THE Scottish Tory chair has responded to questions over Rishi Sunak’s transgender jibe made in the House of Commons at PMQs this week.

Rishi Sunak was met with heckles of “shame” and “disgusting” on Wednesday when he accused Keir Starmer of changing his position on “defining a woman” when the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey was visiting Westminster. 

We told on Thursday how he has so far refused to apologise for the remark as the PM told Sky News it was “legitimate” for him to make the point about Starmer.

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Asked by the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland if Sunak should apologise, Scottish Tory chair Craig Hoy responded: “I think that the murder of Brianna Ghey was appalling and I would express my deepest sympathies to my family who were obviously there in the House of Commons this week.

“What happened to Brianna should be condemned across the political spectrum and I don’t think anybody should seek to make political points out of it.”

Pressed further on whether Sunak should apologise, Hoy replied that the PM accounted for this by saying he was not aware that Esther Ghey was visiting at the time.

“I think the Prime Minister and myself would agree that Brianna’s murder was absolutely horrific but I wouldn’t want this to become a political football,” he added.

It was then put to Hoy that Brianna’s father had called on the PM to apologise but that Sunak has so far refused to do so.  

Asked if this was a “dignified way to respond to a grieving parent,” Hoy said: “It’s a matter obviously for the Prime Minister to set out what he was aware of when he made that comment and what his views are in relation to that.

“He and I are absolutely of the view and I think everybody in British and Scottish politics is of the view that the murder of Brianna Ghey was absolutely appalling and I just wouldn’t want either the media or other politicians to try and turn this into a political football. It is an absolute tragedy.”

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He continued: “I’m not sure if the Prime Minister was aware at that time who was in the gallery.

“I suppose one of these things is about being authentic in politics. You have to apologise for things that you’ve done wrong and that you’ve said inappropriately.

"I don’t know what the Prime Minister knew at that particular point in time but I absolutely do know that every single politician, and this is why it’s regrettable that this is becoming a political football, aided and abetted by the Labour Party and the media, but I understand why you would ask those questions but ultimately this was an absolute tragedy and I think it would be regrettable if this became a party political issue at Westminster.”