Labour MP Chi Onwurah has spoken out in defence of Defence Secretary Wes Streeting, calling out a “small, sad minority” responsible for targeting him with homophobic hate mail since his appointment to the Cabinet.
Onwurah’s comments follow reports that Streeting has faced a surge in abusive correspondence and online harassment since becoming the first openly gay Defence Secretary. He told LBC’s All Talk podcast he had experienced more online homophobia in three weeks than in his entire life, because some people “cannot cope with the idea that a gay person might lead the armed forces of the United Kingdom.”
Writing on X, Onwurah said public servants should be judged on their record rather than prejudice:
“The abuse directed @wesstreeting since he become Defence Secretary is shows how far we have come — its a small, sad, minority — and how far we still have to go before everyone judges everyone on based on their achievements rather than individual prejudices.”
Standing united against abuse
Following those reports, colleagues across the Labour movement have expressed solidarity with the Defence Secretary. Diane Abbott and Sadiq Khan have also condemned the attacks, with Abbott calling them ignorant, prejudiced and unacceptable.
Labour figures emphasised that while robust political scrutiny is part of democratic debate, targeted identity-based abuse has no place in public life. Onwurah’s message underscored a broader commitment to equality, inclusion and mutual respect across public service and wider society.
