Warwick's MP has criticised the prime minister for not damning three local councillors for their comments on SEND children.

Former cabinet member for children and families Jeff Morgan and Conservative colleagues Brian Hammersley and Clare Golby came under fire for comments made during last month's meeting of the Children & Young People's Overview & Scrutiny Committee.

Labour representative for Warwick and Leamington has been very vocal on the issue since, and today (February 21) pressed PM Rishi Sunak on the issue during PMQ's.

The local MP quoted some of the comments to the Prime Minister and then asked Mr Sunak if he would condemn the councillors' language and "urge them to do the right thing and resign". 

The PM said he had not "seen the details of the comments on this issue" - despite the intense coverage in national media outlets.

Some on social media have questioned how he had no knowledge of the issue, but somehow had a prepared statement on the Government's actions on SEND ready to use. 

The broadcaster, Carol Vorderman, accused the Prime Minister of "gaslighting" in his response.

Following today's exchange in parliament, Mr Western said: "As so many in Warwickshire and beyond were, I was horrified and disgusted by these comments from three Conservative councillors. 

"I wanted to take this opportunity to ask the Prime Minister if he would join me in condemning the Councillors and urge them to resign. He failed to do so. 

"It adds another layer of frustration and hurt to what so many SEND families have been feeling over the past month.

"The prime minister should have done the right thing and condemned these comments. I am beyond disappointed he didn't, we deserve better." 

At the meeting last month Cllr Morgan questioned whether some children put forward for SEND assessments were "just really badly behaved", Cllr Hammersley queried whether a surge in demand was down to "something in the water", while Cllr Golby was criticised for referring to social media pages where "families are swapping tips on how to get their children diagnosed".

Her point was part of her wider set of questions over whether some SEND conditions may be conflated with wider societal issues. 

Selected comments from all three were chopped and compiled to accompany black and white images depicting children in straitjackets, tied to radiators and preparing to be caned, a video that has been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on social media site TikTok. 

The backlash that followed has resulted in police being enlisted to protect the councillors from abuse and threats. 

The three councillors have since issued apologies.

The council's position has changed as the situation has played out, starting with the stance that no comment could be made until formal complaints are investigated in full, followed by leader Cllr Izzi Seccombe and the authority as an entity distancing themselves from the comments in a statement.

Calls for the three to resign and the Green Party's stance that Cllr Seccombe should temporarily remove the Tory whip – essentially banish them from the party – while investigations take place were met with the response that due process had to be followed.