Latest news with #DylanTippetts
BBC News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Three Plymouth city councillors quit Labour
Three councillors on Plymouth City Council have left the Labour Party, citing concerns over immigration policies, trans issues and cuts to the winter fuel Tippetts, the city's first openly trans councillor, was elected as Labour councillor for Compton in 2022 but has now become Plymouth City Council's only Liberal Democrat Reilly, who represents Honicknowle, quit Labour to become an independent while Carol Ney, the member for Southway, left Labour to join the Independent Labour Party in Plymouth has been approached for comment. Tippetts said Labour had "thrown transgender people under the bus and has taken us back decades".Following a Supreme Court ruling that a woman was defined by biological sex under equalities law, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he did not believe transgender women were the political move, Tippetts said: "I will always make sure trans voices are listened to and valued in this period of turbulence and division our country faces."Welcoming Tippetts to the Lib Dems, city party chairman Stuart Bonar said: "With the government scrapping winter fuel payments to over 10 million pensioners, as well as cutting benefits to disabled people, it is no surprise that more and more people are turning to the Liberal Democrats." Carol Ney said she left the Labour Party because of her concerns over the government's cuts to the winter fuel allowance and plans to change personal independence said: "These changes are affecting the poorest members of society and I've heard first-hand from residents who are struggling to make ends meet."Ney said she had hoped to see a change of direction from Labour following the local elections in May. There were no elections in Plymouth but Labour were wiped out on Devon County said: "I was hoping after the recent election results Labour would have changed policies as they can see the electorate are becoming disillusioned with the party. Alas they have not listened to the general public."Zoe Reilly left the Labour Party the day after the prime minister made a speech about bringing down net reportedly referred to Starmer's speech and said remaining in Labour "would be a disservice to myself and to the diverse communities I continue to work with". Reilly has not responded to a request for comment from the defections mean Labour has 39 councillors on Plymouth City Council, the Conservatives and the Independent group both have seven councillors, the Green Party has two members, while the Liberal Democrats have one and one councillor is independent.
The Independent
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Councillor resigns from Labour over party's stance on trans rights
Trans Labour councillor Dylan Tippetts has resigned from the party, accusing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of abandoning trans people after the Supreme Court ruling on gender. The court ruled that biological sex determines the definition of a woman in equality law, which has led to trans women being excluded from women's sports teams and bathrooms. Sir Keir has reversed his previous stance that "trans women are women", advocating for trans people to use bathrooms aligning with their biological sex. Mr Tippetts criticised Labour for its stance, saying he can no longer represent a party that doesn't support his fundamental rights and has taken society 'backwards decades'. Mr Tippetts, who sits on the Plymouth City Council, plans to serve as an independent councillor until his term ends.
The Independent
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Trans Labour councillor quits party and accuses Starmer of ‘throwing transgender people under a bus'
A trans Labour councillor has quit the party and accused Sir Keir Starmer of 'throwing transgender people under the bus' after it's response to the controversial Supreme Court ruling on gender. Dylan Tippetts, who represented Labour on Plymouth City Council, said he can no longer represent a party ' that does not support my fundamental rights '. Judges ruled that the definition of a woman in equality law is based on biological sex. In response, a slew of ministers, including equalities minister Bridget Phillipson, said trans women should use bathrooms corresponding to their biological sex. And Sir Keir U-turned on his previous position that 'trans women are women', calling on trans women to use male bathrooms and trans men to use women's toilets. Quitting the party, Mr Tippetts said: 'The Labour party nationally has thrown transgender people under the bus and has taken us backwards decades.' He added: 'Everyone deserves the right to live peacefully, and the Labour Party continues to deny transgender people that basic right. 'I cannot continue to represent a party that does not support my fundamental rights. I cannot as a trans person continue to support the Labour Party.' After the ruling, a member of the party's ruling National Executive Committee told The Independent Sir Keir was putting trans people in danger and forcing them out of society. Left-winger Jess Barnard said: 'We already know trans women face extreme levels of violence in society and are likely to be targeted with hate crime and abuse for being trans. 'So we should not be in a situation where the prime minister of the UK is telling trans women to use men's bathrooms.' Seeking to address the anger, Ms Phillipson stressed that Labour will offer trans people the 'dignity' they were denied by the Conservatives. She said: 'We will continue our wider work with commitment, with compassion, to protect all of those who need it right across society. Because this is a government that will support the rights of women and trans people, now and always. 'This is a Government that will support the rights of all people with protected characteristics, now and always. This is a government that will support the rights of our most vulnerable, now and always. And, on that, there is no change to announce. Dignity and respect for all, now and always.' Labour suggested Mr Tippetts' decision to to quit was taken after he was told he was being replaced as chair of the Taxi Licensing Committee. A spokesperson for Plymouth Labour Group said: "We are very disappointed that Cllr Tippetts has taken the decision to resign. The residents of Compton ward deserve three committed councillors so we hope Cllr Tippetts will work hard to represent them during his final year in office". Mr Tippetts will now sit as an independent and will not seek re-election next year.
The Guardian
09-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Labour ‘throwing trans people under the bus' says transgender councillor
One of Labour's only transgender councillors has resigned from the party, accusing it of 'throwing trans people under the bus'. In a post on X on Friday morning, Dylan Tippetts, who has represented Compton ward on Plymouth city council since 2022, wrote: 'I cannot continue to represent a party that does not support my fundamental rights. I cannot as a trans person continue to support the Labour party.' Tippetts, who was the first Labour councillor to represent the area, will now sit as an independent and confirmed he would not seek re-election. He said: 'The Labour party nationally has thrown transgender people under the bus and has taken us backwards decades. Everyone deserves the right to live peacefully, and the Labour party continues to deny transgender people that basic right.' Tippett's resignation comes after senior government figures, including Keir Starmer, welcomed the 'clarity' provided by the supreme court's ruling on biological sex. The UK supreme court ruled last month that the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 referred only to 'a biological woman' and to 'biological sex', with subsequent advice from the equalities watchdog, the Equality and Humans Rights Commission, amounting to a blanket ban on trans people using toilets and other services of the gender they identify as. Responding to the judgment, which has sent shockwaves through the UK's transgender community, the prime minister said: '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.' Bridget Phillipson moved to reassure the community. The equalities minister told the Commons: 'The ruling of the supreme court was clear about the importance of biological sex, but I would not want any trans person … anywhere across the country to be fearful.' Subsequently, the Guardian reported that 14 national LGBTQ+ charities had written to Starmer seeking an urgent meeting to discuss what they described as 'a genuine crisis for the rights, dignity and inclusion of trans people in the UK'. On Thursday a cross-party committee of MPs wrote to the EHRC seeking assurances that its guidance on how organisations interpreted the ruling did not ignore the needs of transgender people. A spokesperson for Plymouth Labour Group said: 'We are very disappointed that Cllr Tippetts has taken the decision to resign from the Labour party after he was informed on Thursday evening that he was being replaced as chair of the taxi licensing committee. 'The residents of Compton ward deserve three committed councillors so we hope Cllr Tippetts will work hard to represent them during his final year in office.' Tippetts has been approached for comment.
