Labour has been accused of betraying women by insisting there is no need to change the law to protect single-sex spaces.
Before the election, Sir Keir Starmer had insisted that ‘biological women’s spaces need to be protected’ and that men who legally change sex by obtaining a Gender Recognition Certificate do not have the right to enter female-only spaces.
But the Office for Equality and Opportunity yesterday dismissed fears that many public bodies are wrongly allowing people to use toilets, changing rooms and domestic abuse refuges based on their self-identified gender rather than biological sex.
It said the majority of 404 cases raised by concerned members of the public, after a call for evidence issued by the previous Tory administration, were correctly interpreting Equality Act guidance.
The department admitted that some organisations were allowing transgender people to access single-sex spaces that matched their self-identified gender – but added that they were not claiming it was required by law.
It also acknowledged that 10 per cent of the guidance it studied was misinterpreting equality law, but said this just showed ‘confusion or a lack of awareness’ rather than a need to change the legislation as the Conservatives and women’s rights’ groups had demanded.
Last night senior Tory MP Claire Coutinho said: ‘This work was started by Kemi Badenoch when she was Minister for Equalities.
Sir Keir Starmer had insisted that ‘biological women’s spaces need to be protected’ before the election
The Office for Equality and Opportunity yesterday dismissed fears that many public bodies are wrongly allowing people to use single-sex spaces
Women’s Rights supporters protest outside the ‘What Is A Woman’ trial at the Supreme Court in London. Protesters say that gender is determined at birth and cannot be changed by choice
‘It will be a kick in the teeth for all the women who thought Labour would protect single-sex spaces. Another broken promise.’
Maya Forstater from campaign group Sex Matters said that Labour’s equalities ministers Anneliese Dodds and Bridget Phillipson had delivered a ‘lazy kick in the teeth to women’.
‘This is an utter betrayal of women. How can you stand against male violence against women while giving away female-only spaces to any man who wants to walk in?’ Ms Forstater asked.
Her colleague Helen Joyce added: ‘I’m so angry about this. Sometimes, governments break manifesto promises because they decide they’re too expensive. Sometimes because they realise they can’t be kept. But this time, it’s just outright betrayal.’
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