Transgender athletes may have to compete alongside their biological sex under the Conservatives' plans to "clarify" equality laws, Kemi Badenoch has said.
The cabinet minister told Sky News her party is "not giving instructions" to different sporting bodies, but rather "making it very clear what the law is, that there is a difference between identifying as a different gender and what your biological sex is".
As part of their latest election offer, the Tories last night pledged to change the Equality Act to define the protected characteristic of sex as "biological sex".
In the past, critics have accused the Conservatives of seeking to stoke divisions and demonise transgender people in the search for votes - with concerns raised about what this could mean for sport and access to female-only spaces.
Asked what the law would mean in practice for transgender athletes, Ms Badenoch said it would not bar them from competing but in some cases they "may have to compete with their biological sex".
She said: "We believe that sports is something where there are sex categories for a specific reason.
"People compete in women's sports because they're biological women, not because they identify as women. It is for sporting bodies to be able to manage that.
"Transgender athletes are not stopped for competing. They may, in some cases, have to compete with their biological sex."
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Asked which toilets the government intends for transgender people to use, Ms Badenoch said: "We have not said that transgender people can't use specific toilets. What we have said is that they [businesses] must provide toilets for single sexes as well.
"And if you provide for all, that is genuine inclusion. The sort of inclusion that people are doing are actually exclusive to women."
The Equality Act currently states that an individual must not be discriminated against on the basis of their sex.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
1:46
Trans golfer on hatred after tournament win
Ms Badenoch, the women and equalities minister, stressed the reforms would not be a "change", but rather "re-emphasising what should be the status quo".
"Sex and gender were used interchangeably," she said. "What we're doing is making sure that people understand what the law says. We've seen a lot of problems with people misinterpreting the law."
Challenged about why the government hasn't already made the change if it was such a big problem, Ms Badenoch said the "biggest reason" was because the SNP's controversial gender recognition legislation "took up quite a lot of bandwidth".
Ms Badenoch first mooted the idea in April last year after writing to parliament's human rights watchdog for advice about it.
At the time, LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall said the proposal risked "opening yet another chapter in a manufactured culture war that will see little benefit to women, cis and trans alike".
Labour said it would not amend the Equality Act if elected because there are already provisions to protect single-sex spaces, so the government's plans are "not needed".
Speaking to Times Radio, shadow defence secretary John Healey said: "What is needed is clearer guidance for service providers, from the NHS to sports bodies, and in prisons, on what single-sex exemptions need to be, and the best way to be able to do that is in guidance, not primary legislation."
The Lib Dems accused the Tories of waging "phoney culture wars" while Lee Anderson, the former Tory deputy chairman turned Reform candidate, called it "madness".
Announcing the pledge last night, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the safety of women and girls "is too important to allow the current confusion around definitions of sex and gender to persist".
Ms Badenoch, who has spoken frequently in the Commons on the issue, said the change in the law needs to occur because public bodies are now acting out of "fear of being accused of transphobia".
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The Conservatives said the proposed change to the law will not remove the existing and continuing protections against discrimination on the basis of gender reassignment provided by the Equality Act.
The sex of those with a Gender Recognition Certificate will still align with their acquired gender in law outside the Equality Act, for example, marriage law, as is the status quo.
Under the proposed scheme, the Conservatives will also establish in law that gender recognition is a reserved matter, as they say "this will mean that an individual can only have one sex in the eyes of the law in the United Kingdom".
Burrow was honoured with the Helen Rollason Award at BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2022, which is given for “outstanding achievement in the face of adversity”.
Accepting the award, he paid tribute to his "MND hero" Doddie Weir and thanked his family for their support.
His former teammate Kevin Sinfield received a special BBC award for his fundraising, after he ran seven ultra marathons in seven days in November 2022 to raise money for MND research.
Rob Burrow would be looking down as the initial building work takes place for the MND treatment centre in his name, his family have said.
Burrow's death was announced yesterday but he had earlier indicated to family he wanted today's ground-breaking ceremony to go ahead.
PA Media
"He was asked, and we were all there. There was no hesitation, he wants it to go ahead today," mum Irene told the BBC.
The sooner it could be built, the sooner people could be helped, she added.
"He'll be watching today and we've pulled ourselves together all of us, because that's what Rob would have wanted.
"It's just amazing to be here today for Rob. We're flying the flag and beating the drum and keep doing it and raising money, and we will get a cure. I'm so proud of him."
Dad Geoff said he hoped the future for people with MND would be "good" thanks to the research and fundraising.
Irene said it was the "second time we've had this bereavement".
"The first time, was the worst day of our lives when he was diagnosed.
"And yes, we're going through it now, but he's out of pain now and we're flying the flag. Onwards and upwards for everybody," she added.
Leeds Rhinos rugby league team announced on Sunday their former player Rob Burrow had died.
He had been diagnosed with MND in 2019, two years after retiring from the sport.
But who was the man behind the headlines?
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Burrow had a stellar 17-year rugby league career that included winning eight Super League Grand Finals, three World Club Challenges and two Challenge Cups.
He spent his entire club career with Leeds and made more than 400 appearances between 2001 and 2017, also being capped by his country.
In 2019, two years after retirement, he was diagnosed with MND.
He brought the lives of people living with MND into the spotlight.
PA Media
Fundraising for the MND Association followed, with teammate and friend Kevin Sinfield taking on back-to-back ultra marathons to raise money.
Burrow, who was supported by wife Lindsey and the couple's three children, was made an MBE in the 2021 New Year Honours for his services to sport and for his work in the MND community.
The pair were awarded CBEs for their fundraising efforts in the 2024 New Year Honours.
Jamie Peacock, a former Leeds Rhinos teammate, told the Today programme about Rob Burrow's courage and legacy.
"He was the bravest and most courageous of us all," Peacock said.
"He has made a difference and he will never be forgotten, and that's the important thing we have to remember today."
Burrow collected eight Super League Grand Final wins during his playing career.
In 2011, he scored what is regarded as one of the greatest ever Grand Final tries to help Leeds Rhinos win against St Helens.
A ground-breaking ceremony for an MND centre in Leeds named after Rob Burrow has taken place this morning.
Cathy Killick/BBC
The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease is at Seacroft Hospital and will support people who have the disease and their families.
Rob's dad, Geoff Burrow, was at the event alongside other members of the family, as well as Kevin Sinfield.
The ceremony saw people wiping tears from their eyes as the first spades went into the ground.
Cathy Killick/BBC
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who recognised Burrow's MND campaigning with a ‘Points of Light’ award last year, said he was "honoured" to have spent some time with him.
"Rob was an inspiration to everyone who met him or who heard his incredible story," Sunak said on X.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer also paid tribute to Burrow and his "incredible legacy" on X.
"Rob leaves behind an incredible legacy in his work to raise awareness and advocate for those with Motor Neurone Disease," Starmer said.
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My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, founded by Scottish rugby union player Doddie Weir in 2017, shared an emotional tribute message to Rob Burrow.
Weir was diagnosed with MND in 2016, and died in 2022.
Burrow had said Weir was his "MND hero".
"Doddie and Rob shared a unique bond, both as legendary rugby players and as warriors against this devastating disease," the charity said.
"His journey, shared so openly, has brought much-needed attention to MND, and his legacy will inspire future generations."
"The rugby community and the MND community have lost a giant, but the impact of Rob’s work and spirit will endure," it added.
A BBC News special is currently being streamed on iPlayer, where you can watch some of the tributes being paid to Rob Burrow, following the announcement of his death.
If you want to watch the live programme, just press the play button below.
Last year, more than 12,000 people took part in the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon, including Kevin Sinfield and Rob Burrow.
In a memorable moment, Sinfield carried Burrow over the finish line after pushing his former teammate around the course in a specially adapted wheelchair.
The marathon raised funds for The Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Appeal and the Leeds Hospitals Charity, as well as a host of other causes.
Work is due to start today on the multimillion-pound MND treatment centre named after Rob Burrow in his home city.
The state-of-the-art centre would be based at Seacroft Hospital in Leeds at an estimated cost of £6.8m.
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Kevin Sinfield's many challenges have raised millions of pounds for it, with donations from thousands of others helping towards the goal.
Chief executive of Leeds Hospitals Charity Esther Wakeman said people had been paying their respects overnight by sending messages or donating to the appeal to build the new facility.
"Today the plan is to put a spade in the ground, to start building the centre. We still have a million pounds to raise, but we are confident that the community will continue to get behind this.
Leeds Hospitals Charity
"This is something which will stand there for many years supporting patients and their families and that's what Rob wanted."
This morning we've been hearing about Rob Burrow - a family man, friend, decorated sportsman and motor neurone disease campaigner.
Many of the tributes we've published so far have been from his former rugby league teammates at both Leeds Rhinos and England.
Getty Images
The diagnosis for MND came just two years after he retired from playing, following a stellar 17-year career that included winning eight Super League Grand Finals, three World Club Challenges and two Challenge Cups.
Burrow's death was announced by the Rhinos, who called their former scrum-half and hooker "a true inspiration throughout his life whether that was on the rugby league field or during his battle with MND".
Getty Images
Getty Images
Burrow spent his entire club career with Leeds and made more than 400 appearances between 2001 and 2017.
One of the most successful rugby league players in history, Burrow was made an MBE in the 2021 New Year Honours for his services to the sport and for his work in the MND community.
He played alongside Kevin Sinfield - a man who would go on to complete challenges with Burrow, raising millions of pounds for charity.
The pair were awarded CBEs for their fundraising efforts in the 2024 New Year Honours.
PA Media
Prince William, who had met Burrow and Kevin Sinfield a number of times during their work to raise awareness and money for research into MND, has paid tribute to "a legend".
PA Media
Tweeting from the official Kensington Royal X account and signing his message with a W, the prince said Burrow had a huge heart, adding: "He taught us, ‘in a world full of adversity, we must dare to dream."
He added that his family sent love to Burrow's wife, Lindsey, and the couple's three children.
The announcement of Burrow's death has had a big impact on people this morning, with many national papers carrying the news on their front pages.
At Headingley Stadium, a steady stream of people have been arriving to pay their respects to Rob Burrow, whose death was announced yesterday.
One of those people is former teammate Jamie Jones-Buchanan.
PA Media
"It's a sad day, it was a sad evening last night," he told BBC Radio Leeds.
"It's a time to reflect and that reflection has brought about the manifestation of the courage that Rob showed throughout his life.
"Rob was a shining light and the spirit of Leeds, to quote some of the tributes left at the statue of John Holmes.
"His legacy is one of courage, to do it for a mate with a mate, be brave, to stand up and fight for what you believe in and Rob did that both on and off the field and that will never leave this club, this town, this city and those who are inspired by Rob.
"Rob transcended sport and through the media he was able to get his message out of love, of altruism and benevolence."
A champion on and off the field, the determination, courage and humility of Rob Burrow guaranteed a legacy that stretches way beyond the sport he loved.
At 5ft 5in, Burrow was among the smallest men in rugby league, but he became one of its biggest names.
Father, family man, friend, competitor, campaigner. His death aged 41 comes nearly five years after he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
When Burrow learned of his illness, he told his wife Lindsey: "Thank God it's me and not the kids."
The MND Association said Burrow was a "consistent and passionate advocate for people with MND" and "used every opportunity to raise awareness of the disease".
PA Media
"It is testament to the strength of feeling people have for Rob that the support in his name has never wavered," their statement following his death added.
"The MND Association is incredibly grateful to Rob and his family for helping to raise awareness of MND, and funds for the Association, by sharing the details of their journey and by inspiring so many people both within the MND community and the wider public."
Last night and this morning, we've seen hundreds of people pay their respects to Rob Burrow at Headingley Stadium.
Flowers, shirts and scarves have been placed at the home of Leeds Rhinos, who Burrow played for before his MND diagnosis.
PA Media
PA Media
Sally Hurst/BBC
Kevin Sinfield has written about the love he had for friend and former teammate Rob Burrow, following his death.
Together, Sinfield and Burrow raised millions for charity to increase awareness and fund research into MND, a disease Burrow was diagnosed with in 2019.
Below is Sinfield's message following the announcement of his death:
PA Media
"Today was the day that I hoped would never come.
"The world has lost a great man and a wonderful friend to so so many.
"You fought so bravely until the end and became a beacon of hope and inspiration, not only for the MND community but for all those who saw and heard your story.
PA Media
"My love and thoughts go to your beautiful family, Lindsey, Macy, Maya, and Jackson, to your lovely parents Geoff and Irene, sisters Joanne and Claire and your wider family and friends.
"You will continue to inspire me every single day. I have lost a dear friend and I will never forget the special times we shared both on and off the pitch. I would always say that you were pound for pound the toughest player I ever played alongside, however since your diagnosis, you were the toughest and bravest man I have ever met.
Reuters
"The last four-and-a-half years you showed the world what living and loving looked like and this was always done with the biggest smile on your face.
"I will miss you my little mate.
"All my love
"Kev x."
Hello and thank you for joining us.
We're waking up to the news this morning that former Leeds Rhinos star and MND campaigner Rob Burrow has died.
PA Media
Last night, Leeds Rhinos said it was with "deep sadness" they announced his death aged 41.
Burrow played rugby league for the Rhinos before his diagnosis with motor neurone disease in 2019.
Since then, he campaigned for more research into MND, with millions of pounds raised towards a new Rob Burrow Centre in Leeds, to care for those living with the disease.
His former teammate and friend Kevin Sinfield, who had spearheaded fundraising efforts by completing mammoth challenges, has led tributes.
"You will continue to inspire me every single day," he said.
Richard Tice has refused to rule out the possibility of Nigel Farage performing a U-turn and standing as a Reform UK candidate at the general election.
Mr Farage said at the start of the campaign that he would not be standing but would be campaigning for Reform.
But today he tweeted that he will be making an “emergency general election announcement” at 4pm prompting speculation he may have changed his mind.
Asked what the announcement will be, Mr Tice told Talk TV: “We are looking forward to that announcement at 4pm. We are having a great campaign so far. Very energised getting huge, huge positivity and returns. Sometimes patience is a virtue…”
Mr Tice, the Reform leader, said he knew what the announcement will be. Asked again if Mr Farage is going to stand, he said: “Come along and listen at 4pm and you will find out everything.”
You can follow the latest updates below and join the conversation in the comments section here.
Transgender athletes may have to compete alongside their biological sex under the Conservatives' plans to "clarify" equality laws, Kemi Badenoch has said.
The cabinet minister told Sky News her party is "not giving instructions" to different sporting bodies, but rather "making it very clear what the law is, that there is a difference between identifying as a different gender and what your biological sex is".
As part of their latest election offer, the Tories last night pledged to change the Equality Act to define the protected characteristic of sex as "biological sex".
In the past, critics have accused the Conservatives of seeking to stoke divisions and demonise transgender people in the search for votes - with concerns raised about what this could mean for sport and access to female-only spaces.
Asked what the law would mean in practice for transgender athletes, Ms Badenoch said it would not bar them from competing but in some cases they "may have to compete with their biological sex".
She said: "We believe that sports is something where there are sex categories for a specific reason.
"People compete in women's sports because they're biological women, not because they identify as women. It is for sporting bodies to be able to manage that.
"Transgender athletes are not stopped for competing. They may, in some cases, have to compete with their biological sex."
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Asked which toilets the government intends for transgender people to use, Ms Badenoch said: "We have not said that transgender people can't use specific toilets. What we have said is that they [businesses] must provide toilets for single sexes as well.
"And if you provide for all, that is genuine inclusion. The sort of inclusion that people are doing are actually exclusive to women."
The Equality Act currently states that an individual must not be discriminated against on the basis of their sex.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
1:46
Trans golfer on hatred after tournament win
Ms Badenoch, the women and equalities minister, stressed the reforms would not be a "change", but rather "re-emphasising what should be the status quo".
"Sex and gender were used interchangeably," she said. "What we're doing is making sure that people understand what the law says. We've seen a lot of problems with people misinterpreting the law."
Challenged about why the government hasn't already made the change if it was such a big problem, Ms Badenoch said the "biggest reason" was because the SNP's controversial gender recognition legislation "took up quite a lot of bandwidth".
Ms Badenoch first mooted the idea in April last year after writing to parliament's human rights watchdog for advice about it.
At the time, LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall said the proposal risked "opening yet another chapter in a manufactured culture war that will see little benefit to women, cis and trans alike".
Labour said it would not amend the Equality Act if elected because there are already provisions to protect single-sex spaces, so the government's plans are "not needed".
Speaking to Times Radio, shadow defence secretary John Healey said: "What is needed is clearer guidance for service providers, from the NHS to sports bodies, and in prisons, on what single-sex exemptions need to be, and the best way to be able to do that is in guidance, not primary legislation."
The Lib Dems accused the Tories of waging "phoney culture wars" while Lee Anderson, the former Tory deputy chairman turned Reform candidate, called it "madness".
Announcing the pledge last night, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the safety of women and girls "is too important to allow the current confusion around definitions of sex and gender to persist".
Ms Badenoch, who has spoken frequently in the Commons on the issue, said the change in the law needs to occur because public bodies are now acting out of "fear of being accused of transphobia".
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The Conservatives said the proposed change to the law will not remove the existing and continuing protections against discrimination on the basis of gender reassignment provided by the Equality Act.
The sex of those with a Gender Recognition Certificate will still align with their acquired gender in law outside the Equality Act, for example, marriage law, as is the status quo.
Under the proposed scheme, the Conservatives will also establish in law that gender recognition is a reserved matter, as they say "this will mean that an individual can only have one sex in the eyes of the law in the United Kingdom".
The Conservatives have promised to amend the Equality Act to ensure the protected characteristic of sex is defined as "biological sex".
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the "safety of women and girls" meant the "current confusion around definitions of sex and gender" cannot be allowed to continue.
The Tories say their election pledge will make it simpler for service providers for women and girls, such as those running sessions for domestic abuse victims, to stop biological males from taking part.
Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Scottish National Party (SNP) have not yet commented on the proposals.
The Conservatives are presenting their pledge as a matter of privacy and principle.
But it is also an issue that may appeal to socially conservative voters who previously voted for the party but, polls suggest, might not vote for them this time.
Tory strategists hope it will also put other parties on the spot about where they stand on the issue.
Critics have, in the past, accused the Conservatives of seeking to stoke divisions and demonise vulnerable transgender people in the search for votes.
The party says that since the Equality Act was introduced in 2010, it has not kept up with "evolving interpretations" of sex and gender.
Under the plans, existing protections for transgender people would remain.
Some interpret sex as referring strictly to biological sex, while others believe it also applies to people with a gender recognition certificate; a legal document that allows someone to change the legal sex on their birth certificate.
Mr Sunak said: “The safety of women and girls is too important to allow the current confusion around definitions of sex and gender to persist.
“The Conservatives believe that making this change in law will enhance protections in a way that respects the privacy and dignity of everyone in society."
Writing in the Times, the minister for women and equalities, Kemi Badenoch, said "clarification" was needed as "it is clear public authorities and regulatory bodies are confused about what the law says and what to do".
She claimed the changes would provide new protections for biological women in places such as hospital wards and rape crisis centres.
Ms Badenoch also took aim at Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer for "going round in circles on the issue".
The Conservatives have also committed to making gender reassignment a reserved issue; meaning it would be uniform policy across the UK nations.
This comes after the UK government last year intervened to stop Scotland enacting its Gender Recognition Reform Bill.
Ms Badenoch said in the Times: "We are one United Kingdom and it is impracticable for gender recognition regimes to vary in different parts of the country. So, we will also legislate to establish that gender recognition is a reserved matter."
The Equality Act 2010 already allows service providers to exclude certain groups if doing so is considered a "proportionate means" of achieving a "legitimate aim".
In 2022, the UK's equality watchdog, The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), published guidance for service providers wishing to keep spaces single-sex, including examples of when they can legally exclude certain groups in order to do so.
One such example was around access to domestic abuse refuges, with the EHRC advising it would be legal to bar trans women from the refuge, if female survivors indicated they felt uncomfortable.
However, the Conservatives say the existing law is not "sufficiently clear" on when it means biological sex and when it means gender.
In 2022, Judge Lady Haldane concludedthe definition of sex in the act was "not limited to biological or birth sex" after a group of campaigners launched a legal case around gender balance on public boards in Scotland.
The Conservatives argue the "ambiguity" of the law means single-sex service providers are often "vulnerable" to legal challenges, and that women and girls' safety is at risk.
The proposed law change would apply whether or not the person has a gender recognition certificate.
It's not the first time the Conservatives have spoken about amending the Equality Act.
In 2023, Ms Badenoch wrote to the EHRC for advice on the impact of doing so.
The EHRC's chair Baroness Kishwer Falkner said it would give clarity in a "polarised and contentious" area, but also warned a change could be "more ambiguous" than the current definition of sex in relation to equal pay and sex discrimination.
She said any changes to the law would need detailed analysis of possible disadvantages for trans men and women in these areas.
Hospital patients are "dying in corridors", nurses have warned as they declared a "national emergency" in the NHS.
Patients are regularly treated on chairs in corridors for extended periods of time - and sometimes even days, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has said.
They are also receiving cancer diagnoses in public areas, and may have to undergo intimate examinations there too, the union added.
A survey of almost 11,000 frontline nursing staff across the UK shows the practice has become widespread, the RCN said.
When asked about their most recent shift, almost two in five reported delivering care in an inappropriate area, such as a corridor.
Patient privacy and dignity had been compromised, almost seven in 10 said.
"You wouldn't treat a dog this way," one nurse said.
Another nurse recounted a patient with dementia being in a corridor for hours without oxygen.
They said: "When I arrived, she was in a wheelchair on a corridor with her daughter. She was extremely agitated, crying and confused. This care environment for any patient, never mind with dementia, was completely inappropriate."
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The RCN's acting general secretary, Professor Nicola Ranger, will declare a national emergency at the start of the union's annual conference.
The organisation will also publish a report on clinical care in inappropriate areas.
In order to show how widespread the practice has become, the RCN is calling for mandatory reporting of patients cared for in corridors.
"Our once world-leading services are treating patients in car parks and store cupboards," Prof Ranger will tell delegates.
"The elderly are languishing on chairs for hours on end and patients are dying in corridors. The horror of this situation cannot be understated.
"It is a national emergency for patient safety and today we are raising the alarm."
She will add: "Receiving a cancer diagnosis in a public area isn't care. It's a nightmare for all involved. We need to call it out as nursing staff, and health leaders and ministers need to take responsibility."
Corridor care is a "symptom of a system in crisis", the RCN's report says, with patient demand in all settings, from primary to community and social care, outstripping workforce supply.
Kemi Badenoch has said the Conservatives will change the Equality Act to rewrite the definition of sex and allow organisations to bar transgender women from single-sex spaces, including hospital wards and sports events.
The party will make clear that the protected characteristic of sex means biological sex, enabling those who wish to bar male-bodied people from organisations or activities to do so.
Badenoch said it would provide reassurance for services such as those aimed at domestic abuse victims.
“Whether it is rapists being housed in women’s prisons, or instances of men playing in women’s sports where they have an unfair advantage, it is clear that public authorities and regulatory bodies are confused about what the law says on sex and gender and when to act – often for fear of being accused of transphobia, or not being inclusive,” Badenoch said.
“That is why we are today pledging that, if we form a government after the election, we will clarify that sex in the law means biological sex and not new, redefined meanings of the word. The protection of women and girls’ spaces is too important to allow the confusion to continue.”
Last year, Badenoch asked the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to advise on the change. The equalities watchdog said the new definition would make it possible to exclude trans people from same-sex spaces even if they hold a gender recognition certificate (GRC).
Badenoch said on Sunday that she had concluded the law needed to be changed in order to provide protections based on biological sex, saying it was crucial to allow single-sex groups to meet without those of the opposite biological sex.
The law will still protect against discrimination based on the status of gender reassignment, the Conservatives said.
The party also said it would change the law to make gender recognition a reserved matter which only the UK government could legislate on, a reaction to the row over the Scottish gender recognition bill, which was blocked by Westminster.
Announcing the change, Rishi Sunak said that he wanted to enshrine the right to single-sex spaces in law.
“The safety of women and girls is too important to allow the current confusion around definitions of sex and gender to persist,” he said.
“The Conservatives believe that making this change in law will enhance protections in a way that respects the privacy and dignity of everyone in society. We are taking an evidence-led approach to this issue so we can continue to build a secure future for everyone across the whole country.”
Sunak and the Conservatives have used the row over gender and trans rights as a key plank of their election strategy against Labour and Keir Starmer.
The EHRC had advised that the change would make it simpler for groups and services to exclude trans people even if they hold an official certificate recognising their gender but said the government should carefully consider that any change could have “possible disadvantages for trans men and trans women”.
The change would allow political parties to restrict trans women with a GRC from benefiting from “women-only” shortlists and other measures aimed at increasing female participation.
It would also make it more straightforward for hospitals to restrict trans women from certain female wards, where at present service-providers must “conduct a careful balancing exercise to justify excluding all trans women”.
