Mayor of Greater Manchester, Bev Craig, refuses to endorse 'guidance' restricting trans access to public facilities
The Mayor of Greater Manchester has declined to say whether she will support the implementation of controversial new guidance affecting trans people's access to public facilities.
Bev Craig, who succeeded Andy Burnham as Greater Manchester Mayor last month, was twice asked whether she would back Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) 'guidance' recommending that trans people use either gender-neutral facilities or those corresponding to their sex assigned at birth. According to reports, she stopped short of giving a direct commitment.
The guidance came into force last week following legal and political debate around the interpretation of the Equality Act. Critics have argued that the recommendations could make life more difficult for trans and non-binary people, while supporters say they provide clarity on the operation of single-sex spaces.
When asked whether she would oversee the full implementation of the' guidance', Craig told Times Radio that she was still assessing what it would mean for transport services under her control. She suggested that many existing services were already compliant and downplayed the practical impact, saying the issue may affect only a small number of public facilities.
Graham Robson
Asked again whether she intended to introduce the measures, Craig replied that her focus was on understanding what, if anything, would need to change from current arrangements. She also stressed that she would not be policing who uses public toilets, remarking that she would not be "checking people's bits on the way into the toilet".
While Craig said public services would remain legally compliant, she declined to say whether she would encourage Greater Manchester's ten local councils to adopt the EHRC recommendations. Instead, she suggested local authorities should be given time to consider the practical implications of the guidance and decide how best to respond.
Craig has previously spoken out in support of LGBTQ+ rights. During her mayoral campaign, she said she had spent her career fighting for LGBTQ+ equality and insisted it was possible to support both women's services and trans communities without "throwing our trans communities under the bus".
Last week, Good Law Project announced it is supporting a legal challenge against the Government and the EHRC with Jess O'Thomson, Good Law Project's trans rights lead, saying legal action was necessary because of what they described as a significant rollback of trans rights.
"It’s difficult to believe just how far backwards our government has gone on trans human rights," they said.
"This Labour government pushed through its transphobic guidance in the face of opposition from many MPs, including nearly a hundred of its own backbenchers.
"It's not just immensely harmful. We think it's unlawful, and completely against human rights. So this challenge is absolutely essential."
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