Bridget Phillipson rejects claims of delaying trans guidance over Deputy PM ambitions
– 2 min read
Bridget Phillipson has denied allegations she is stalling the release of updated guidance on single-sex spaces for trans individuals in order to protect her chances in the Labour deputy leadership contest.
The Women and Equalities Minister, who is also Education Secretary, has come under pressure from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) to expedite the approval of a revised code of practice. The guidance, which clarifies how organisations such as gyms, hospitals and clubs should interpret single-sex spaces following a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year, has yet to be laid before Parliament.
Critics, including Conservative MPs and some within Labour, have accused Phillipson of dragging her feet to avoid alienating support from MPs with strong ties to LGBTQ+ communities. Shadow Equalities Minister Mims Davies went as far as to claim Phillipson was “putting her own career opportunities ahead of women’s rights”.
EHRC accused of ‘bullying’ government to push through “harmful and unworkable proposals”
The government was urged in the House of Lords last night not to let themselves be “bullied by the EHRC” as a row erupted between the regulator and the government over their intervention - publicly pressuring Equality Minister Bridget Phillipson to stop scrutinising proposals and accept them immediately. The Equality
Graham Robson
However, Phillipson has rebuffed these claims, describing them as politically motivated smears. In an interview with The i Paper, she criticised the EHRC for making public statements before submitting all necessary documentation. “It is disappointing to see the EHRC commenting on this in the way that they are publicly,” she said. “We are going to get this right. But the EHRC also need to give us the material in a timely way”.
According to government sources, the EHRC only recently provided a key equality impact assessment, supplementing the original 300-page submission made in September. The watchdog, however, insists it has now delivered all requested materials and is urging ministers to act swiftly to prevent organisations from relying on outdated and now unlawful guidance.
Thirty-two Labour MPs have also written to the EHRC, expressing concern that the proposed guidance could lead to discrimination against trans people. The issue has sparked a wider debate within the party, with some MPs reportedly reconsidering their support for Phillipson’s deputy leadership bid depending on the timing of the guidance’s release.
Despite the mounting pressure, Phillipson maintains that the government is taking the necessary time to ensure the guidance is legally sound and socially responsible. “We will make sure that the Code of Practice gets us into the right place,” she said, dismissing suggestions of political delay as “beneath contempt”.
