Labour MPs sign pledge against ‘divisive' Supreme Court trans ruling
Four Labour MPs have signed a trans-rights pledge that appears to criticise the 'divisive' Supreme Court trans ruling.
Charlotte Nichols, Kate Osborne, Olivia Blake and Nadia Whittome put their names to a statement that also said lesbian rights do not conflict with those of transgender people.
It came after Supreme Court judges unanimously ruled that the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act referred to biological sex instead of acquired gender.
The Left-wing backbenchers endorsing the pledge is the latest sign of ongoing tensions within the Labour Party over gender identity issues.
The statement was drawn up for a Lesbian Visibility Week reception in Parliament last week, and reads: 'We, the undersigned, affirm our unwavering commitment to the dignity, safety and liberation of lesbian and trans people in all their diversity.
'In the wake of the UK Supreme Court ruling, we reaffirm that the rights of trans people do not conflict with the rights of lesbians. We reject attempts to divide our communities and stand united against all forms of transphobia, lesbophobia and misogyny.
'Our liberation is bound together. There is no pride in exclusion. No feminism without solidarity. We stand firm. We will not be divided.'
'Ruling does not provide clarity'
Interim guidance issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) , published in the wake of the court judgement, said that trans women should not be allowed to use women's lavatories.
It added that membership of an association with 25 members or more can be limited to gay men or lesbian women, saying a lesbian-only association should not admit trans women, and associations for gay men should not admit trans men.
Ms Whittome said she was 'very concerned' in the wake of the judgement, warning that it 'does not provide clarity'.
Ms Blake said she could 'understand that many people are anxious' about the potential consequences of the ruling, writing on Instagram: 'As an MP, I remain committed to campaigning for better, fairer services for everyone. We must tackle unequal access so as to ensure everyone, cis women and trans women, receive the support they need.'
Days after the court ruling, Labour frontbenchers Dame Angela Eagle and Sir Chris Bryant were among Labour MPs who railed against remarks made by Baroness Falkner, who chairs the EHRC. She had said the ruling meant trans women would be banned from women's single-sex spaces.
In a leaked WhatsApp message, Dame Angela warned that official guidance that would follow the ruling could be 'catastrophic' for transgender people.
'Let's meet about this when we get back from Easter recess to decide a way forwards,' she said. 'The ruling is not as catastrophic as it seems, but the EHRC guidance might be and there are already signs that some public bodies are overreacting.'
Downing Street insisted it would not take any action because the Supreme Court judgement itself had not been criticised.
Sir Keir Starmer said after the ruling that a woman 'is an adult female', but critics of the Prime Minister pointed out his past comments on the issue. In 2022, he had said trans women were women, declaring the following year that '99.9 per cent' of women did not have a penis.
Sally Wainwright, from the campaign group Lesbian Persistence, said: 'Clarity is not division. It's the duty of elected parliamentarians, and especially of those in government, to uphold the rule of law, not to try to undermine the authority of the highest court in the land.
'MPs should be welcoming a ruling that makes crystal clear that lesbians, women and trans people all have our own, inalienable rights. Those rights are not in conflict, but are separately protected by the Equality Act.
'What is divisive is the trans lobby stirring up fear and alarm, particularly amongst vulnerable gender-questioning young people, by misrepresenting the meaning of the ruling. It is inappropriate for MPs to support such statements. They should be providing reassurance where it is needed instead.'
A Government spokesman said: 'We have always supported the protection of single-sex spaces based on biological sex.
'This ruling brings clarity and confidence, for women and service providers such as hospitals, refuges, and sports clubs.
'Single-sex spaces are protected in law and will always be protected by this Government.'
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