The Labour Government has sparked controversy by breaking another key election promise to protect female-only spaces.
In a striking reversal, it has now stated that transgender women can access some single-sex spaces intended for biological females under certain circumstances.
Keir Starmer had previously assured voters it was “very important” to safeguard female-only spaces during a general election debate with Rishi Sunak. However, this week, Labour’s Women and Equalities Unit (WEU) confirmed in a response to a consultation that public and private bodies could draft policies permitting transgender women to enter female-only areas.
The WEU stated that this would be legally acceptable under the Equality Act 2010 as long as organisations did not falsely claim the law mandates such policies. Critics argue the move contradicts Labour’s manifesto commitment to protecting women’s spaces and has left voters questioning the party’s reliability.
‘Deeply Worrying’ Reversal
Conservative Claire Coutinho, the Shadow Minister for Women, branded the move “deeply worrying” and a “broken promise.” She told The Telegraph:
“Labour promised to protect single-sex spaces in their manifesto, but now they’re saying that biological men can enter those spaces and they would still be ‘single-sex.’ This is yet another promise Labour have broken to the electorate. The Conservatives will always be clear that sex means biological sex.”
The row stems from a consultation initially launched by former Women and Equalities Minister Kemi Badenoch in May. The consultation aimed to clarify how organisations were interpreting the Equality Act regarding single-sex spaces, amid rising concerns over transgender women accessing female-only facilities such as lavatories and changing rooms.
Under the Equality Act, organisations can exclude trans individuals from single-sex spaces if doing so is deemed a “proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim,” such as safeguarding privacy or ensuring safety.
Labour’s Response Sparks Outrage
The WEU’s consultation response acknowledged that most of the 404 submissions received correctly interpreted the Equality Act. However, it added that some organisations had chosen to allow transgender women access to single-sex spaces based on their policies rather than legal obligation.
The report stated:
“In some cases, guidance reflected the organisation’s own policy to allow those with the ‘gender reassignment’ protected characteristic access to single-sex spaces that correspond with their self-identified gender, but did not incorrectly suggest that this is mandated by the Act.”
Critics argue Labour is giving the green light to organisations that permit transgender women access to female-only spaces, despite voter concerns about privacy and safety.
Maya Forstater, executive director of campaign group Sex Matters, told the Telegraph:
“In its manifesto, Labour promised to protect women’s spaces. Now in government, it’s breaking that pledge. It’s throwing away the responses to a call for evidence by the previous administration about whether provisions for single-sex spaces and services were working.
“The Government is saying it’s fine for a service provider to allow men who identify as women into women-only spaces, as long as it doesn’t say that’s the law.
“In plain language, it’s saying it’s fine for any man who’s willing to claim he’s a woman to come into women’s changing rooms and showers – spaces where people get naked.”
