Minister hopes supreme court’s gender ruling will ‘draw a line’ under trans debate – UK politics live
Health minister Karen Smyth says ‘it’s good we have clarity for women’ as Tories call for ruling to be ‘reinforced with legislation’The shadow paymaster general has welcomed the supreme court rulling yesterday on gender recognition, and called for the government to codify it in law to protect the decision against future court action.Speaking to GB News, Richard Holden, hailed it as “a very sensible ruling”, and was at pains to point out that it echoed concerns that had been in the Conservative manifesto at the 2024 general election.I think it’s a very sensible ruling. It’s something which was in the Conservative manifesto the last general election that we would ensure that the Equality Act in legislation would be defined properly as biological women. That’s exactly what we would have done. The court seems to have done it for us.I hope that the government reinforces that with legislation as well as we would do, but I think it’s a victory for common sense. I think that now that guidance is going to be absolutely crucial, and they have to get it right on this to ensure that single sex spaces can protect women.Rights remain enshrined in the Equality Act. There are protected characteristics for trans people under the gender recognition part of the Equality Act.If there are changes to be made, that needs to be looked at carefully with the guidance, but this law was about women’s rights and rights under the Equality Act for sex and for service providers making sure they are compliant with that. Continue reading...
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Health minister Karen Smyth says ‘it’s good we have clarity for women’ as Tories call for ruling to be ‘reinforced with legislation’
The shadow paymaster general has welcomed the supreme court rulling yesterday on gender recognition, and called for the government to codify it in law to protect the decision against future court action.
Speaking to GB News, Richard Holden, hailed it as “a very sensible ruling”, and was at pains to point out that it echoed concerns that had been in the Conservative manifesto at the 2024 general election.
I think it’s a very sensible ruling. It’s something which was in the Conservative manifesto the last general election that we would ensure that the Equality Act in legislation would be defined properly as biological women. That’s exactly what we would have done. The court seems to have done it for us.
I hope that the government reinforces that with legislation as well as we would do, but I think it’s a victory for common sense. I think that now that guidance is going to be absolutely crucial, and they have to get it right on this to ensure that single sex spaces can protect women.
Rights remain enshrined in the Equality Act. There are protected characteristics for trans people under the gender recognition part of the Equality Act.
If there are changes to be made, that needs to be looked at carefully with the guidance, but this law was about women’s rights and rights under the Equality Act for sex and for service providers making sure they are compliant with that. Continue reading...
