Sir Ed Davey, the Liberal Democrat leader, has backed proposals to scrap a ban on trans ‘women’ using female changing rooms despite a manifesto pledge to honour the Supreme Court judgment on single-sex spaces. The Telegraph has more.
He was accused of “betraying women” after joining a campaign for more inclusive single-sex spaces at the party’s annual conference in Brighton.
On Monday, the Lib Dems will vote on a proposal to scrap new guidance banning transgender women, who are born male, from female lavatories and changing rooms.
The plans are set out in an emergency motion selected by Lib Dem members, which will also force the party to take a firm stance on whether trans women are women.
In an interview on Monday morning, Sir Ed backed the motion and confirmed that he intended to vote for it if he was present for the debate.
Asked whether he supported the proposals, he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Indeed. The Supreme Court created something that we didn’t expect.
“We’ve been working out how to make sure it’s implemented properly and we’ve been waiting for this guidance – it’s taken a long time. And we think, talking to businesses, they don’t think it’s clear enough or helpful enough. So we’re responding to what other people are saying.”
Asked whether he wanted the motion to pass, he replied: “I do – I’ll be voting for it if I’m in the hall.”
Last April, the Supreme Court ruled that the word “sex” in the act referred to biological sex and not gender identity, and that the word “woman” meant biological woman.
Earlier this year, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) brought out guidance making it clear that this meant that only biological women should be able to use female lavatories.
The emergency motion at the Lib Dem conference, selected by members in a ballot on Saturday, states that the EHRC code is “discriminatory and unworkable” and should be overwritten with more “inclusive” rules.
Liberal Voice for Women, a Lib Dem group campaigning for sex-based rights, accused Sir Ed of tearing up a manifesto pledge to uphold the Equality Act 2010.
Zoe Hollowood, who chairs the group, told the Telegraph: “Ed Davey promised voters the Lib Dems would uphold the equality act in our 2024 manifesto. Today he has admitted he wants to tear up that manifesto pledge, and in the process destroy women’s rights.
“The trans rights conference motion debate today aims to remove women’s boundaries, including when we’re getting dressed and when we’re sleeping in hospital, and all because a tiny minority of males want access to these women’s spaces.
“After the Supreme Court ruling that confirmed sex in the equality act was based on biology, Ed said the Lib Dems ‘accept entirely’ the judgment. In just over a year, he has completely rowed back on that position. This is a shocking betrayal of women.”
Worth reading in full.
Discussion
Comments
This week across the site:
To join in with the discussion please make a donation to the Daily Sceptic.
Profanity and abuse will be removed and may lead to a permanent ban.
The Liberal Democrats – neither liberal nor democratic.
Open borders, so a Migrant camp in every postcode, The Woman now is a nothing as any man can be one. Oh yes, why wouldn’t you vote for the Lib Dems,
What on EARTH does someone have on him?
This is evil. No other word for it will do.
Just when I thought Ed Davey couldn’t be more of a prat, he proved me wrong.
And that’s a great photo of him, encapsulating his character.
“more inclusive single-sex spaces” Oxymoron. By definition single sex means exclusively….single sex. The clue is in the word single.
“…transgender women, who are born male…”
And who remain male.
For goodness sake, DS, tell it like it is
That bit is in the quote from the Tellygraf.