A Brighton MP’s head of policy has apologised for shouting at a father and his baby that they were fascists at a pro-trans protest.
Carly-May Kavanagh, who works for Lloyd Russell-Moyle, was filmed at the gender-critical Let Women Speak event in Brighton on Sunday.
She and another protester shout at a man holding an infant, saying he is “raising a little fascist”.
She later spoke on Twitter about her experiences at the rally, including a now-deleted tweet suggesting the gender-critical speakers had thrown smoke bombs at themselves in order to blame pro-trans protesters.
This morning, she said: “I let down the trans community with my behaviour.
“My desire to protect my trans friends led me to act in a way that I shouldn’t have.
“I am embarrassed by my actions and I am sorry.
“This has been a tough learning experience for me and should be a lesson to us all.
“My shouting and manner was wrong and is now being used against the trans community that we all want to support.
“I was in the wrong and it won’t happen again.”
As well as working for Mr Russell-Moyle, Ms Kavanagh is chair of the Brighton and Hove Labour party’s local government committee, which organises local government campaigns across the city.
The committee would also usually oversee selections of candidates for elections – but this has been temporarily been taken over by the party’s south east regional committee because of concerns how selections were run for the 2019 elections.
Brighton broadcaster Simon Fanshawe, one of the co-founders of Stonewall who has since broken with the organisation over its stance on trans issues, published an open letter to Mr Russell-Moyle, asking for reassurance he is dealing with the incident in an appropriate manner.
He wrote: Your mandate is of course for your whole constituency. I don’t know if the man she was accusing of being fascist was a constituent or not – but from the recording it’s clear that neither did she.
“Her role surely – in order to reach the best conclusions on policy – is to listen to the range of views in the constituency she serves.
“Both the views of people who subscribe to “gender theory” and those people who are “gender critical” are protected views in law and so lawfully expressed. Neither are “fascist”.”
He added: “It would be reassuring to know you are dealing with this in an appropriate matter and will go on the record by saying that you do not agree that those of your constituents who do hold “gender critical” views are not “fascists” and that, as their MP, you will listen to their anxieties and misgivings about self-ID with an open mind.”
A spokesman for Mr Russell-Moyle said: “Lloyd is attending the funeral of his grandmother.
“We do not comment on individual staffing matters.
“We understand the individual concerned has made an apology on their Twitter, all other staffing matters are dealt with internally.”
What a disgrace Ms Kavanagh is – swearing and screaming in the face of a baby! I have formally complained to the Labour Party about this horrific individual, as I live in Kemptown and want to vote Labour as I normally do, but people like this extremist individual might stop me from doing so. She really should just resign and save Lloyd from yet more controversy.
Except she’s not sorry is she? The deleted tweet stating “it was worth it” is still for public viewing. It clearly states how sorry she isn’t.
We do not need a person in politics or journalism who treats members of the public this way. Disgusting. This news outlet used to be ok, up until now.
Come on Jo!
Get a grip!
That is NOT an apology.
The headline is completely misleading.
She has only apologised to her ‘trans friends’ for ‘letting down the trans community’.
What is truly frightening is that this person could have been in charge of selecting the Labour candidates for the City Council had the national Labour Party not stepped in to remove her from power.
Scary!
Totally agree. She did not apologise to the person who was the target of her clear bias. A typical political apology – lots of words, yet saying nothing.
What is wrong with the LP? Attacking a family. Election next year ppl don’t vote them in. Simples!
I Bet she/they will stand for election next year. Disgrace.
Statistically the chances that they are indeed fascists is quite high.
I would have thought the frothing at the mouth Trans crowd, preventing women from voicing their protected views are in fact the fascists, no?
You probably know nothing about statistics and it’s certain you know nothing about fascism.
Women are women. Men are men. Then there are mentally ill people who can’t decide. I have to say this has become a great source of amusement for me.
Utterly disgraceful behaviour and all it does is strengthens the cause they are against and gives it publicity! Why attend? It’s a bit like buying a ticket for an Ed Sheeran concert but not actually liking his music and then going and shouting abuse at him. Would have been far better to ignore the speaker and then she would have had far less publicity. Trying to silence anyone always makes people suspicious of what you are trying to repress.
That’s not the actual point… this appalling person was yelling at a baby in someone’s arms and saying it will grow up to be a fascist. I have no real issues with trans… militant trans or any other group is beyond the pale.
Is the baby the one wearing black clothing and a mask to scare and intimidate others?
Shes probably not even a brightonian!
Her Twitter feed is only available to those she allows to see it. So it’s not public and reading the article, a pretty lame apology.
I take it she will be standing down.
She apologised to herself. I am “any party but labour” person these days. It’s time to just walk away.
If Labour had any common sense they would kick her out.
Pretty disgusted by this behaviour from Carly-May.
I am a woman and I live in Lloyd’s constituency.
What do you expect, L R M disgraced himself in Parliament with the MACE situation, doubt he will have the balls to sack her.
What is wrong with these people, they rage against anyone who disagrees with their ideology, screaming fascists while attempting to shout down freedom of speech, I doubt they grasp the irony
I think this is the issue, a group of people, not particularly intelligent as are their gaggle of hotchpotch ‘supporters’ have managed to capture entire government departments because of their misogynistic, violent behaviour, except it’s not working anymore, and as the house of cards begins to fall down expect to see more and more violent protests
I am ashamed to be a member of a party that allows a staff member to behave in that way. Shame on her and her disingenuous apology.
The answer is simple, do not vote Labour. These people are just arguing themselves into a hole, and no one is listening. L.R.M. is a disgrace and an embarrassment to Brighton. It remains to be seen whether the people will have the common sense to vote him out. I also agree with the comment at 10.04.
Awful Behaviour, Awful Apology. Not even an apology to the dad with baby. Get rid Labour Party.
She still hasn’t resigned or been fired ?
Isn’t she actually commiting a hate crime?
The “trans rights” movement is a misogynistic and homophobic authoritarian hate movement that seeks to –
Destroy women’s rights (women don’t have rights if women’s rights also belong to me)
Destroy LGB rights
Normalise any and all fetishes, including in public where children will be. (IMHO fetishes are a private matter not a public one. If you are gay you have to be out in order to participate in public life with your partner. If you like sticking needles in your genitals then this has not place in public life).
Destroy all safeguarding measure for women and children.
That “apology” was not an apology.
Disgusting behaviour. This person should be dismissed immediately.
Kavanagh doesn’t actually seem to apologise in their statement.
The worst thing she did was scream about two feet from the baby’s face. That is far worse than anything she actually said; what she said was deranged bigotry but pales in significance to being aggressive in front of a baby.
She should be fired!