Kemi Badenoch says toxic trans debate with Dr Who actor David Tennant will 'put people off going into politics' and vows she'll 'never shut up no matter how many Doctor Whos' tell her to do so

Kemi Badenoch has warned that people are being put off going into politics because of the sort of abuse she received from David Tennant.

The Equalities Minister said the Doctor Who star – who told an awards ceremony he wished she would shut up and not exist – was just one of 'thousands' who send her nasty messages. 

She said that politicians need 'thicker and thicker skin' to cope and that many good candidates will decide they do not want the death threats and bricks through their windows that MPs have received recently.

She referred to the controversial comments made this week by the actor in her speech to the British Chambers of Commerce annual conference, as she said Labour's vision of the economy included 'the divisive agenda of identity politics'.

She said: 'I'm never going to shut up about it. No matter how many Doctor Whos tell me so.'

Asked how she coped with being attacked by the likes of Tennant, Mrs Badenoch admitted: 'It's not an easy thing to cope with.'

She said his remarks, made as he accepted a prize for being a 'celebrity ally' to transgender people at the British LGBT Awards, were 'just the tip of the iceberg'.

'That is just one of thousands of people who sends nasty messages, police investigating things, you just need to have a certain type of character and constitution which is to be able to deal with things like that. Politicians need thicker and thicker skin.'

Asked why the 'trans debate' has become so toxic, Mrs Badenoch replied: 'Because one side has not wanted to have the debate and instead is trying to intimidate mostly gender-critical women.'

She went on: 'I actually think it's quite ridiculous when Keir Starmer said I want to take the toxicity out of the debate.

'One of his Labour MPs Dawn Butler actually said I agree with David Tennant when he said he wished that I did not exist.

'Who is bringing the toxicity? It is them and it needs to stop. And I think that it is my job, not just as Minister for Women and Equalities but also as a female MP, to make sure we do not allow people to silence us or make us feel afraid when we are doing what people are voting for us to do in government.'

The leading Tory also warned that it would stop people wanting to run for elected office.

She said: 'Look at the work that I've been doing on the equality side. You do you do what you know is right, looking after women and children, and then you get a celebrity who has got no idea what the issues are saying that I wish you did not exist. People are afraid of that.

'Bricks through our windows, death threats, we've lost two MPs, my colleague Mike Freer's office burned to the ground. All for 80 grand a year. Most people say no thanks I don't want that, I don't want to be shouted at in the street.

'The real problem we have is that a lot of people do not want to go into politics anymore, which is opening the space for all sorts of people who are not serious and can be a danger to politics generally. And that goes for every party.'