Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy has sparked outrage after GB News presenter Patrick Christys called out his past comments about the late Ann Widdecombe, who was found dead in her Devon home on July 9 with serious injuries. The case has since been declared a murder investigation, with a 28-year-old white male arrested and the probe handed to counter-terrorism police, who confirmed it was a 'targeted attack'.
Christys Slams Labour Hypocrisy
On his GB News show, Patrick Christys accused Labour MPs of having a 'brass neck' for paying tribute to Widdecombe after previously making 'horrible, hateful' remarks. He singled out David Lammy, playing a clip from 2019 where Lammy called Widdecombe 'poisonous' after she suggested science might provide an answer to being gay. Lammy had said: 'Bigots like Ann Widdecombe want to drag us back to the 19th century, throwing minorities out in the cold along the way.'
Lammy's Nazi Comparison Resurfaces
Christys also highlighted Lammy's comment on the Andrew Marr Show comparing Brexiteers—including Widdecombe—to Nazis. The clip showed Lammy saying Brexiteers were 'worse than Nazis'. Lammy later issued a clarification after stating that Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK (of which Widdecombe was a member), 'flirted with the Hitler Youth'. Christys fumed: 'Well, today Lammy came out and slammed this...' referring to an incident where a Green Party activist allegedly attended a transgender rights rally where protesters stabbed darts into an effigy of Andy Burnham.
Lammy's Response to Violence
In response to that incident, Lammy said: 'This disgraceful act took place just days after the murder of a senior politician, the third of my colleagues, in a decade. It is a shared responsibility of all of us in our democracy to call and condemn violence and threats against politicians. I hope the Green Party leadership takes appropriate action at this time.'
Christys concluded: 'Well, I'm sorry, but I don't really think Lammy is in much of a position to take the high ground here, do you?' The row comes as police confirmed Widdecombe's murder was a targeted attack, raising concerns about the safety of politicians.
