Now JK Rowling mocks 'Pontius Pilates' Nicola Sturgeon for staying silent on trans court ruling and calls out 'shameless' Keir Starmer for failing to protect women

Daily Mail​

15-05-2025

JK Rowling last night unleashed a wave of attacks on 'cowardly' politicians who can only 'muster the courage to tell the truth' after the Supreme Court ruled a woman is defined by biological sex.
The Harry Potter author, who has become a figurehead for gender-critical campaigners, attacked Sir Keir Starmer for his embarrassing U-turn and mocked Nicola Sturgeon over her deafening silence.
Sturgeon, who led the charge on the Scottish National Party 's support for gender self-ID, has been accused of hiding after she dodged attending Holyrood to hear her former party's response to the Supreme Court ruling.
Amid growing calls for Sturgeon, 54, to apologise, Rowling, 59, last night shared a post referring to the former first minister as 'Pontius Pilates', mocking her gym selfie on Easter Monday.
The biblical reference appears to accuse Sturgeon of shirking responsibility, much like Pontius Pilate did when he washed his hands of the decision to crucify Jesus Christ.
Sturgeon, who remains an MSP but will be standing down from Holyrood next year, is yet to publicly address the ruling amid growing calls from campaigners for her to apologise.
The former SNP leader has previously suggested critics of her gender policies used feminism as a 'cloak of acceptability' for misogyny, homophobia and racism.
As well as targeting Sturgeon, Rowling accused Starmer of showing a lack of remorse and posted the Government headshots of 12 'shameless' politicians who have 'sided with the persecutors'.
Alongside their election headshots, she posted quotes they have previously given on the trans debate, ranging from Sir Keir and others saying it is 'wrong' to say 'only women have a cervix' to insisting 'trans women are women'.
JK Rowling called out several Labour politicians by posting their headshots and quotes they have previously given on the trans debate
JK Rowling accused 'shameless' politicians of siding 'with the persecutors'
Rowling's furious response came after Starmer yesterday U-turned on his position on gender following last week's Supreme Court ruling that made it clear that the legal definition of a woman should be based on biological sex.
Despite previously saying 'trans women are women', Starmer flipflopped on his position after days of silence.
Asked if the PM still believed that a trans woman was a woman, his official spokesman said: 'No, the Supreme Court judgment has made clear that when looking at the Equality Act, a woman is a biological woman. That is set out clearly by the court judgment.'
It sparked an angry response from Rowling who labelled those who could only now 'muster the truth' as 'cowards'.
Last night, Rowling posted a picture on X of Sir Keir and 11 other Labour MPs - including Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Angela Rayner - with previous quotes they have made in support of transgender women.
Rowling accused them of siding 'with the persecutors' as she wrote: 'Will any of them issue an apology or admit that they made a serious error in siding with well-funded activist groups lying about what the law actually said, and which had measurable, severe impact on some of society's most vulnerable women?'
The author, who has repeatedly clashed with Sir Keir on gender issues, added: 'Women have fought (and are still fighting) the single biggest land grab on their rights in my lifetime.
'Some have sacrificed their livelihoods and safety to combat a pernicious ideology that has infiltrated elite institutions, including government.
'Women have been persecuted, harassed, smeared, roughed up and forced to take employers to court for discrimination.
'They've suffered severe detriments purely for believing what the Supreme Court has ruled to be reasonable and correct: that women are a definable biological class that has specific rights under the law to which males, however they identify, are not entitled.
'Do these politicians have any shame? They sided with the persecutors, the issuers of death and rape threats, the violent men demanding access to women's and girls' protected spaces, including domestic abuse shelters, rape crisis centres and prison cells.'
Rowling's front footed attack comes on the back of her being branded 'bigoted' and an 'obsessed billionaire' by Potter star Sean Biggerstaff for her transgender views.
Biggerstaff showed his solidarity with the wizarding franchise's leading stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, who have all spoken out against Rowling.
He starred alongside the trio in first two Harry Potter movies - The Philosopher's Stone and the Chamber of Secrets - and returned for a brief, uncredited cameo in the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
Though distancing himself from Rowling herself and forthrightly speaking out against her, Biggerstaff remains involved with the wider Harry Potter universe and often attends fan conventions, doing so as recently as February of this year.
In his diatribe against Rowling, Biggerstaff responded to her controversial post about the Supreme Court ruling, in which she raised her glass and smoked a cigar on a $150million superyacht in celebration.
Biggerstaff showed his solidarity with the wizarding franchise's leading stars Daniel Radcliffe (both pictured), Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, who have all spoken out against Rowling
After the billionaire author was hit by accusations she was 'smoking a blunt', she hit back on social media, clarifying that it was 'objectively, provably and demonstratively a cigar'.
Responding to her post, Biggerstaff claimed she had no sense of humour about the comments, writing: 'Bigotry rots the wit.'
Keir's gender journey
In 2022, Keir Starmer insisted that 'trans women are women' and that it was wrong to say 'only women have a cervix'.
In a newspaper interview in April 2023, he faced a backlash after claiming that 99.9 per cent of women do not have a penis - implying that one in a thousand women do.
Later that year, following a backlash, he said he agreed with Tony Blair that men have a penis and women a vagina.
He also told BBC Radio 5 Live in 2023: 'Firstly, a woman is an adult female, so let's clear that one up.'
In April 2024 Sir Keir said Rosie Duffield - then one of his Labour MPs - was right to say 'only women have a cervix'.
He told ITV: 'Biologically, she of course is right about that.'
On policy, the Labour leader said in 2023 he disagreed with doomed proposals in Scotland that would have allowed 16 and 17-year-olds to apply for a gender recognition certificate.
Sir Keir was asked by local media this morning to repeat his previous statement that 'transwomen are women'.
Instead he replied: 'I think the Supreme Court has answered that question.'
Asked if that means he does not believe a transwoman is a woman, he told ITV West Country: 'A woman is an adult female, and the court has made that absolutely clear.
'I actually welcome the judgment because I think it gives real clarity. It allows those that have got to draw up guidance to be really clear about what that guidance should say.
'So I think it's important that we see the judgment for what it is. It's a welcome step forward.
'It's real clarity in an area where we did need clarity, I'm pleased it's come about.
'We need to move and make sure that we now ensure that all guidance is in the right place according to that judgment.'
Pressed afterwards whether Sir Keir still believed that a transgender woman was a woman, the PM's official spokesman said: 'No, the Supreme Court judgment has made clear that when looking at the Equality Act, a woman is a biological woman.
'That is set out clearly by the court judgment.'
In March 2022, before entering No10, Sir Keir told The Times that 'a woman is a female adult, and in addition to that trans women are women, and that is not just my view — that is actually the law'.
Equalities minister Bridget Phillipson told BBC Breakfast: 'I do welcome the clarity that the Supreme Court judgment has brought in this area, making clear that biological sex is the basis on which single-sex spaces are provided.'
She said there would be more guidance for schools on gender-questioning children and 'the heart of everything we do has to be about making sure that children's wellbeing is supported, but also that school leaders in particular have the clarity and guidance that they want'.
Campaigners for For Women Scotland celebrate outside the Supreme Court in London after terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act was ruled to refer to a biological woman and biological sex
She said there would be more guidance for schools on gender-questioning children and 'the heart of everything we do has to be about making sure that children's wellbeing is supported, but also that school leaders in particular have the clarity and guidance that they want'.
Ms Phillipson added: 'We recognise and believe in the importance of single-sex spaces.
'Before I was a Member of Parliament I used to run a women's refuge, so I know more than most how essential it is that women, particularly those who've experienced sexual violence and male abuse, are able to have safe, therapeutic environments, and that's why there has always been protection there within the law for single-sex spaces.
'There has been some confusion. I'm glad that's been cleared up, because providers can now operate with absolute confidence in delivering single-sex spaces for biological women.'
Ms Phillipson said trans women should use male toilets, but suggested that businesses should ensure 'they have appropriate provision in place', which could mean unisex facilities.
What does the Supreme Court gender ruling mean?
What did the Supreme Court rule?
The Supreme Court ruled the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex.
What does it mean for single sex spaces?
The court's decision will have huge consequences for how single-sex spaces and services operate across the UK, experts said.
The written Supreme Court judgment gives examples including rape or domestic violence counselling, refuges, rape crisis centres, female-only hospital wards and changing rooms.
The court ruled that trans women with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) can be excluded from single-sex spaces if 'proportionate'.
The government said the ruling 'brings clarity and confidence, for women and service providers such as hospitals, refuges, and sports clubs'.
What does it mean for employers?
Employment experts say it will provide companies with greater 'clarity' over single sex spaces for their staff.
Lara Brown, senior Research Fellow in the Culture and Identity Unit at Policy Exchange, said a trans woman with a GRC who is excluded from single-sex spaces cannot say she is being discriminated against as a woman.
She explained: 'This ruling makes it legal for any space that wants to be single sex to exclude biological men.'
Could employers still be at risk of discrimination?
The Supreme Court made it clear that trans people are protected under the gender reassignment provisions in the Equality Act and will be able to bring claims if they are discriminated or harassed.
Experts say a trans woman will be able to bring a sex discrimination claim if they are disadvantaged because they are perceived to be a woman or because they associate with a woman.
Rob McKellar, legal services director at Peninsula, said failure to be an inclusive workplace, regardless of any protected characteristics, could result in a discrimination claim.
What does the ruling mean for competitive sports?
In recent years, many sports have cracked down on rules around transgender athletes at the elite level.
Athletics, cycling and aquatics are among those who have banned trans women from taking part in women's events.
The UK government said it hopes the decision will provide clarity for sports clubs.
Although the ruling did not concern sport directly, former Olympian Sharron Davies welcomed the decision, saying it was important to 'define what a woman is'.
Could a pregnant woman with a GRC be entitled to maternity leave?
Experts said that the ruling that only women can become pregnant shows a trans man (biological woman) would be able to take maternity leave, while a trans woman (biological man) would not.
Jo Moseley, an employment law specialist at national law firm Irwin Mitchell, said: 'The Supreme Court acknowledged that only women can become pregnant. Therefore a trans man (a biological woman who identifies as a man) can take maternity leave.
'Had the court reached a different decision, it's possible that trans men with a GRC wouldn't have been entitled to protection in relation to pregnancy under the characteristics of 'pregnancy or maternity'.'