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The Guardian
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
LGBTQ+ charities warn of ‘genuine crisis' for trans people after UK ruling
Fourteen national LGBTQ+ charities have written to Keir Starmer seeking an urgent meeting to discuss what they describe as 'a genuine crisis for the rights, dignity and inclusion of trans people in the UK' after 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 equality watchdog amounting to a blanket ban on trans people using toilets and other services of the gender they identify as. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion The letter to the prime minister, signed by the leaders of Stonewall, Scottish Trans, the LGBT Consortium, TransActual and others, said the judgment had created 'confusion and a significant lack of clarity about what this means for businesses, services and civil society and most importantly the impact on trans people'. The text, seen by the Guardian, suggests the judgment turns previous understanding of the Equality Act 'completely on its head', creating 'a legal framework that simply cannot uphold the dignity, protection and respect of trans people'. It is particularly critical of the interim update issued by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) last Friday, which said transgender people 'should not be permitted' to use facilities of the gender they identify with. The letter suggests this amounts to 'significant overreach' that is inconsistent with the UK's obligations under the Human Rights Act and the European convention on human rights. But the chair of the EHRC, Kishwer Falkner, hit back at critics in an opinion piece in the House magazine, saying 'it is unacceptable to question the integrity of the judiciary, or indeed the regulator, as some have done'. Acknowledging that 'the public discourse on this topic continues to be polarised', Lady Falkner called on 'every legislator to read the judgment in full', saying she regretted 'any uncertainty among duty bearers and the public that has been fuelled by misunderstanding and distortion, particularly across social media'. Praising the judgment as 'a model of clarity', she underlined that 'the law it sets out is effective immediately. Those with duties under the Equality Act should be following it and taking specialist legal advice where necessary'. Falkner also dismissed claims that trans people were not being listened to as 'simply incorrect', pointing to the commission's plans to open a two-week public consultation in May to understand how the practical implications of the judgment can be reflected in an updated code of practice. The nonprofit legal organisation Good Law Project (GLP), which has raised more than £284,000 to challenge the supreme court's judgment, said it was working on about 20 related legal initiatives, including one case already before the courts. In an update to donors, GLP added it had instructed an expert team to produce legal advice on what the court's decision meant and would produce guidance for the trans community on what to do if they are challenged for using the spaces that align with their gender.
The Guardian
28-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
UK offers EU strategic partnership to boost trade and security
The UK is offering the EU a 'new strategic partnership' aimed at bolstering trade and presenting a united European front when Donald Trump is threatening to upend decades of transatlantic alignment. A draft declaration being drawn up by London and Brussels ahead of a UK-EU summit on 19 May points to a 'common understanding' on a number of shared interests. EU ambassadors will meet in Brussels on Wednesday for a briefing from officials who have spent the past few months in a 'tunnel' working on the areas where agreement could be reached over the next year. A defence and security pact that would see closer cooperation on Ukraine is top of the shopping list along with migration, which is a hot topic on both sides of the English channel. The French are determined to carve out new arrangements on fishing but diplomatic sources say there will be no change for the time being. Several EU capitals are pushing for a 'youth experience' programme, which would allow people from the EU to spend at least 12 months in Britain under a reciprocal visa programme that would not add to migration figures. The draft communique being finessed by officials is designed to be the basis of a political declaration and framework for talks over the range of issues. 'We confirmed our shared principles of maintaining global economic stability and our mutual commitment to free and open trade,' the draft noted. It added that the sides would continue working 'on how we can mitigate the impact of fluctuations in the global economic order'. However, the summit comes as the UK continues tariff negotiations with the US in the hope of carving out a special deal. Britain is facing a 10% tariff, while the EU faces 20%. Ahead of a meeting with the prime minister, Keir Starmer, last week, the leader of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, called for a drive to unlock investment for renewables in the North Sea. 'We are friends. And we are Europeans. It means that we share interests and democratic values. And that we are ready to face global challenges as like-minded partners,' von der Leyen said after their meeting. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Downing Street declined to comment on the text but said it was in line with the UK's objectives. Starmer's spokesperson said: 'The prime minister's being clear that there are significant benefits to be had by having a better partnership with the EU in terms of jobs, British businesses, reducing trade barriers, driving growth and keeping us safe in an increasingly dangerous world. So you'd expect us to be discussing a wide range of issues with the EU and obviously get an update on that at the summit. 'The prime minister has spoken extensively recently about the benefits of free and open trade and the fact that we're looking to strengthen alliances around the world to reduce barriers to trade, working with other economies. And that is actually a feature of our discussions, not just with the EU, but the US, India, and other countries as well.'
The Guardian
28-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Employment rights bill ‘improves Labour's favourability among voters'
Labour's employment rights bill could substantially increase the party's plunging popularity with Reform and former Conservative voters, but few are aware of the changes, new data by a pollster has suggested. Among the most popular policies is on workers' prevention from harassment, which has an extremely high favourability rating – despite significant criticism from Nigel Farage, Reform UK politicians and the Conservatives, who have sought to portray it as a 'banter ban'. The polling suggests the government's low favourability could increase by up to 13 points – and by even more among Tory-to-Labour switchers and former Labour voters now likely to vote Reform. The poll of 5,000 adults, commissioned by the TUC union, found only about a quarter of voters were aware of the reforms such as banning zero-hours contracts, ending fire-and-rehire, and introducing 'day one' protections from unfair dismissal. Prevention of harassment – which makes that a legal duty for employers – is the second most popular policy after the ban on fire-and-rehire. The reforms in the bill – which will come to the House of Lords on Tuesday – are also popular with Labour voters who have moved towards the Green party or independent MPs, increasing favourability by 11 points. Peter McLeod, who ran polling for Labour in opposition, conducted the polling with his firm Hold Sway. He said: 'There's a huge number of voters out there that still know little to nothing about this legislation. The good news for the government is that as people learn about the employment rights bill, their views toward the government get more positive.' Those polled were shown arguments in favour of the bill – including that protections were tipping the balance back towards workers – but also arguments against the changes, such as treating business as a 'cash cow' and Farage's argument that it would 'ban banter'. 'It's important to note that this was a balanced exercise,' McLeod said. 'To simulate the actual debate around the bill, we showed tough arguments against it as well as the changes that it will bring in and the arguments in favour. After that robust debate, favourability to the government goes up. 'When we isolate the views of those crucial swing voters who picked the Tories in 2019 and Labour in 2024, we find a similar positive shift in the government's reputation. This goes for 2024 Labour voters who would now vote Reform and Green as well.' The bill has been the subject of intensive lobbying from business groups and criticism in the national media, and linked to low growth forecasts. Critics have suggested the increased protection for workers is an additional burden for businesses who have also seen national insurance for employees increase. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion There has been a perceived reluctance from ministers, including the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, to robustly defend or promote the bill given the need to preserve relations with business, though fears that the bill would be watered down at its final reading in the Commons did not come about. The TUC has done its own extensive promotion of the bill, including in Farage's Clacton seat. The TUC general secretary, Paul Nowak, said: 'The employment rights bill is a vote winner, and demonstrably improves the government's standing with working people. 'Commonsense policies like banning zero-hours contracts, ending fire-and-rehire and protecting workers from harassment are all hugely popular with voters across the political spectrum, from Green to Reform. The likes of Reform are defying their supporters by voting against improvements to workers' rights at every stage. 'Boosting awareness of the employment rights bill will help expose Nigel Farage as a phoney who is on the side of bad bosses – not working people.'
The Guardian
28-04-2025
- The Guardian
Jeremy Vine ‘stopping cycling videos' due to abuse he receives
For many cyclists, Jeremy Vine's commitment to filming drivers he regarded as endangering his fellow two-wheeled travellers made him a hero. It also made the presenter the target of some extraordinary online hate from those who accused him of persecuting motorists. After years of documenting clashes and close shaves on the road, Vine has announced he is now ending his sharing of footage, saying the fallout they generated had become too hard to bear. 'I'm stopping my cycling videos,' he announced. 'The trolling just got too bad. They have had well over 100m views but in the end the anger they generate has genuinely upset me.' He said a 'regular theme' had been an apparent desire by some online attackers to see him 'crushed under a truck', something he described as a 'very real danger' to commuting cyclists. Vine accompanied his announcement with posts he had received from angry critics. One stated he was 'beyond hated' and asked him to upload another video 'if it's you getting run down and hospitalised'. Another said they hoped the next motorist he confronted 'kicks your traitor head in'. A third said: 'It may be terrible but I hope he falls under the wheels of five cars that reverse and make sure the job's done.' The BBC Radio 2 and Channel 5 host said his aim had been to make drivers think about the dangers of trying to navigate a busy city on a bike. He admitted he could get a 'little cross when a driver has, say, pulled out without looking', but said he had only ever uploaded the videos to highlight the dangers involved. Vine said his decision to stop the recordings followed the theft of his bike last week – an incident also captured on camera and posted online. 'Do I want to get a replacement and go back into the trolling-furnace? As I say, it just got too hot,' he said. 'A new cycle video would make my phone physically heat up in my pocket. There are at least two death threats against me currently being investigated by police. 'I enjoy debates but not abuse. It's strange that getting interested in road safety can actually endanger a person. I see other cyclists facing the same and wonder how they deal with it. So when I get my new bike I'll stay vigilant but won't share my adventures.' Vine's latest and perhaps last video appears to show a taxi dropping off a passenger directly into a cycle lane – a move that prompted Vine to ring his bell in warning, only for the driver to honk his horn back at him. Some of his latest videos featured AI-generated imagery and songs, including one that riffed on a driver telling him he was 'drifting to the middle' of a lane. Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion In 2017, a driver who beeped her horn and shouted abuse at Vine was convicted of threatening behaviour and a driving offence. The exchange was captured by Vine's cameras. He posted it to Facebook, where it was viewed more than 15m times. 'I never made a penny from my videos,' Vine said. 'They have gone completely crazy at times. They've started debates about whether, for example, you can undertake a vehicle turning left while you are in a cycle lane that is paint-only. 'In a lot of cases the answer is: yes, but don't do it if you want to stay alive.'
The Guardian
24-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
NHS ‘routinely failing' deaf patients in England, report finds
Deaf patients face systemic discrimination when it comes to learning about their own health due to NHS failings, with some not understanding that they might have a terminal illness, according to a damning report. The study by the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID) accuses the NHS of 'routinely failing' deaf people. A survey of more than 1,000 people in England who are deaf or have hearing loss found that almost one in 10 had avoided calling an ambulance or attending A&E due to their disability, and a quarter had avoided seeking help for a new health concern. The survey also found that about half of sign language users reported not having understood their diagnosis, or how their treatment worked. NHS staff said a lack of training, time and a poor IT system were major factors in being unable to provide these accessibility requirements for deaf people. The report also highlights instances of deaf people receiving particularly poor NHS care. In one instance, a woman was not provided with an interpreter, which meant she was unaware she had had a miscarriage. Another example was a patient receiving no food or water during a hospital stay as they could not hear staff offering it to them. Sharing her experiences as part of the report, Dr Natasha Wilcock, a deaf doctor who works in palliative care, said she had met patients who had been referred to palliative care services who, due to the lack of communication, did not understand they were dying and no longer receiving cancer treatment. Last year the NHS was accused of 'dragging its feet' on bringing in new accessibility procedures, leading to disabled people routinely struggling to access healthcare and facing cancelled appointments. Crystal Rolfe, the director of strategy at RNID, said: 'Imagine not being able to understand a cancer diagnosis, or having to rely on a family member to tell you that you're seriously ill or even dying. The horrifying truth is that too many deaf people in England today don't have to imagine it – it's happening to them in real life. 'The NHS is systematically discriminating against people who are deaf or have hearing loss: it's a national scandal. It is not acceptable that deaf people and those with hearing loss are being routinely failed by an NHS that neglects their communication needs. Lives are being put at risk because of communication barriers, delays and out-of-date systems that are not fit for purpose. 'The government needs to urgently address these issues, make staff training mandatory and overhaul current NHS systems, so that everyone can access their own health information in a way that makes sense – equal access to healthcare is a human right.' Sign up to Headlines UK Get the day's headlines and highlights emailed direct to you every morning after newsletter promotion Louise Ansari, chief executive at Healthwatch England, said: 'Everyone should receive healthcare in a format they can understand. People who have sensory impairments and learning disabilities have been waiting too long for the NHS to meet their communications needs, which are underpinned by the Equality Act. 'We have asked the government to strengthen legislation to ensure the NHS fully complies with the standard and we urge ministers to publicly confirm their commitment to address this important equality, safety, communication and patient experience issue.' An NHS spokesperson said: 'The experiences mentioned in this report are shocking and unacceptable – all NHS services have a legal duty to provide clear and appropriate methods of communication to ensure that patients, including those with a sensory impairment such as hearing loss, and their families or carers can fully understand everything they need to about their treatment and care. 'NHS England is committed to meeting its responsibilities with the accessible information standard and will continue to support organisations to ensure it is implemented in a consistent way, including with the upcoming publication of a new patient safety framework highlighting the importance of ensuring people's communication support needs are met.'
