"There were no voices from trans people." Trans Rights activist interrupts ‘one-sided’ trans debate at Tory Party Conference

A heated moment unfolded at the Conservative Party Conference this week when London Assembly member Andrew Boff interrupted a panel discussion on gender identity, accusing organisers of hosting a “one-sided” debate.

Wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the slogan “Trans Rights Are Human Rights”, Mr Boff stood up during the session titled “The Meaning of Sex: Gender Critical Debate”, chaired by Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho. The panel featured former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies and other gender-critical voices, but no representatives from the trans community.

Mr Boff, a long-serving Tory politician, declared the event “curated hatred” and criticised the lack of diversity in viewpoints. “It wasn’t really a debate,” he told reporters afterwards. “There were no voices from trans people on stage, no voices from the other side of the argument. I felt I needed to address the imbalance.” 

The interruption sparked a tense exchange. Ms Davies responded firmly, stating she would not apologise for defending the rights of women and girls. “No trans woman has ever been excluded from sport,” she said. “They’ve just been asked to compete where it’s fair.”

Mr Boff’s intervention echoes a similar incident at last year’s conference, where he was ejected for heckling then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman over her comments on gender ideology. Despite the backlash, he remains committed to the Conservative Party, saying: “It’s my party. Of course I’m not quitting. I’ll be here switching the lights off when all these buggers have gone off to Reform.”