Sun columnist Rod Liddle has apologised for asking how a blind, trans Labour Parliamentary Candidate knew “she was the wrong sex”.

Earlier this week, in a rare move, Labour’s Emily Brothers, who is standing for Parliament in Sutton and Cheam, came out as transgender in an interview with PinkNews.

Reacting to the news, Rod Liddle – former editor of BBC Radio 4’s ‘Today Programme’, wrote in the Sun: “She’ll be standing at the next election in the constituency of Sutton and Cheam. Thing is though, being blind, how did she know she was the wrong sex?”

However, the quip with poorly received, with London Labour attacking the “vile comments”.

Mr Liddle said in a statement: “I wish Emily the very best and I’d definitely vote for her if I lived in Sutton and Cheam.

“I am sorry for the poor joke!”

However, despite the apology from the columnist himself, the Sun’s head of PR Dylan Sharpe has taken to Twitter to defend the comments, which he claims are “free speech”.

Mr Sharpe – tweeted: “I, like The Sun, believe in free speech and I think Rod was writing it with his tongue firmly in his cheek.”

“The Sun’s position is in our editorials. The columnists write their own opinions. Same in every newspaper!”