The UK Government's new equalities minister Kemi Badenoch has criticised the chief executive of an LGBT+ news website in her first parliamentary appearance in the role. On her first full day in her new post Tory MP Ms Badenoch was asked in the Commons about PinkNews after the outlet's CEO, Benjamin Cohen, posted a string of tweets critical of her record on LGBT rights.
Ms Badenoch told MPs that Mr Cohen used Twitter "as a tool for defamation". She said: “We are running a compassionate equality strategy and we should not be distracted by people who use Twitter as a way to insult or accuse members of parliament.
“What I would like to say, Mr Speaker, as we do begin a new era of equalities is that the Equality Act is a shield, not a sword. It is there to protect people of all characteristics whether they’re young or old, male or female, black or white, gay or straight. This particular individual is someone who uses Twitter as a tool for defamation."
Mr Cohen subsequently called for a "formal apology" from the minister and said she should correct the parliamentary record having made incorrect claims over fellow MPs taking legal action against him and his publication. He said in a statement: “It is disappointing that one of the first actions of the new minister for women and equalities is to use their parliamentary privilege to spread misinformation and untruths. They inaccurately stated that I use ‘Twitter as a tool for defamation’, also alleging that ‘Members of this House’ have sued me. This is a disgrace and a complete fabrication seeing as neither PinkNews nor I have ever been successfully sued by anyone.
“She then referred to the member for Edinburgh South West (Joanna Cherry) having sued me/PinkNews. This is untrue and I would have hope that a cabinet minister would understand the important legal distinction between a threat and actually bringing a court case against an individual or organisation. I await a formal apology from the minister as well as for her to correct the parliamentary record."
READ NEXT:
