Keir Starmer faced questions regarding Donald Trump’s offensive “piggy” remark towards a female journalist while aboard Air Force One last month. During an appearance on Loose Women on ITV, the Prime Minister expressed his disapproval of such language, stating he would not tolerate anyone speaking to his daughter or colleague in a similar manner as the US President did to the reporter.
The incident involved Mr. Trump rudely dismissing Bloomberg’s Catherine Lucey with the words “Quiet! Quiet, piggy” when she posed a question to him while en route to Washington on Air Force One in November. Lucey had inquired about his association with emails linked to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, released by Congress recently.
When asked by Loose Women’s Myleene Klass if he would accept such treatment towards his family or colleagues, Mr. Starmer firmly responded that he would not permit it. He emphasized the need to address behaviors that may seem harmless but are actually problematic, especially in discussions with teenagers.
Mr. Starmer’s appearance coincided with the government’s launch of a significant strategy against violence targeting women and girls. Responding to inquiries about misogyny in Westminster, he acknowledged its presence not only there but also in various spheres across the country, highlighting the prevalence of abuse victims.
Home Office minister Jess Phillips, who introduced the strategy, pledged vigorous government action against the issue. She outlined several measures, including plans to enhance online safety by banning tools that facilitate the alteration of images to expose individuals and collaborating with tech firms to implement filters preventing children from sharing or accessing inappropriate content.