Plaid Cymru admits unlawful discrimination against feminist charity

Martin Shipton

Plaid Cymru has admitted unlawfully discriminating against a grassroots feminist charity by barring it from the party’s Spring Conference.

In February 2024, FiLiA signed a contract with Plaid to have a stand at the conference in Caernarfon. However, this was cancelled by the party shortly before the event went ahead.

Plaid Cymru representative Elin T Jones, chair of the steering committee for the conference, emailed the organisation on March 19 – less than 48 hours before the conference was due to start – to cancel the booking, stating that this was due to FiLiA’s beliefs on ‘trans rights’ and indicating that the presence of the stall would prevent the conference from being a ‘safe space’.

This week, after previously accepting the cancellation amounted to a breach of the contract with FiLiA and offering partial compensation for FiLiA’s costs, Plaid has accepted that the decision to cancel the booking on the basis of FiLiA’s protected beliefs amounted to an act of discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.

Breach of contract

In a letter to FiLiA, Plaid Cymru stated: “Our solicitors have previously accepted that the cancellation by Plaid Cymru amounted to a breach of the contract with FiLiA and as a result, we have compensated you for your financial losses arising from that breach and made a contribution to your legal costs.

“We understand that despite these steps, you have indicated that you intend to issue legal

proceedings seeking a declaration from the courts that Plaid Cymru discriminated against your organisation on the basis that your beliefs amount to protected beliefs under section 10 of the Equality Act 2010.

As our solicitors have indicated, due to the recent findings in the Forstater ET case, we accept that your beliefs are protected beliefs. However, there are also alternative beliefs on this issue which are different to those views held by your organisation, and which would also be protected beliefs.

“As a political party, the members of Plaid Cymru do not all have the same views as you on this issue. We therefore have to be respectful of these different perspectives – all of which may amount to protected beliefs, and be mindful that we do not endorse one view over another. In other words, if we had received a booking from a different group with an alternative view on the same issue, we would not have treated that group any differently from FiLiA.

“You will also be aware that this area of the law is developing. By way of example, you will no doubt be familiar with the Supreme Court case of Lee v Ashers Baking Co Ltd which distinguished between an act of discrimination by a service provider based on a belief and a request to promote a particular view.

“Having set out the context above, in order to bring this matter to an end, the party is prepared to accept that based on the law as it stands, the decision to cancel your booking on the basis of FiLiA’s protected beliefs amounted to an act of discrimination under the Act.

“The party did not intend this to be the case, as in fact we took this decision so that we did not risk portraying a position which suggested that your message was publicly endorsed by the party or formed part of any policy of the party, given our membership hold different beliefs on this issue. We accept however that was the unintended consequence, and as a party, we apologise for any distress or inconvenience caused.

“Given our admission in this regard, which we do openly in the context set out above, we trust that this brings an end to the matter.”

Discrimination

Lisa-Marie Taylor, chief executive officer of FiLiA, said: “While we are pleased that Plaid Cymru has admitted discrimination, there is a clear need to actively tackle the same within their own party, ensuring that women are safe from bullying, harassment and intimidation when speaking out in support of single sex spaces.

“Women have spent years challenging attempts to prevent us taking up space and using our voices. We are being refused stalls at political party conferences, denied the use of venues for meetings, and all this alongside the usual abuse meted out to women who dare to defend our rights.

The admission of discrimination by Plaid Cymru is a small and welcome step, but we still have a long way to go, and I can promise you that we are not shutting up or going away.”

Outrageous

A Plaid Cymru member and FiLiA supporter, who asked not to be named, said: “I’m really glad that Plaid has admitted discrimination. Withdrawing permission for FiLiA to attend the conference and talk to delegates about women’s rights was outrageous.

‘But this is just a start. There is still a culture in the party that makes it very difficult to speak about things like the right of women and girls who have survived rape and sexual assault to single-sex support services. I don’t feel safe to use my name today, because I’ve been subject to harassment and bullying in the past after speaking on these issues, and the party hasn’t protected me.

“The leadership needs to support women and girls who raise concerns, and challenge those who harass and silence us. I hope that FiLiA will apply to attend future conferences.

“Our party needs to have sensible discussions about competing rights and how to balance them. Listening to organisations that put women’s rights first can help us with that. But things won’t really change until women in Plaid can speak out. And we can’t yet.”

Jon Heath of Levins Solicitors, who represents FiLiA said: ‘We’re pleased to have been able to help FiLiA to recover their losses and secure an admission and apology. It is remarkable that Plaid Cymru thought – without even enquiring about the beliefs of our client’s trustees – that the presence of a women’s rights charity would make their conference an unsafe space. Service providers, and particularly those who are also political parties, must do more to instil a robust culture of tolerance within their organisations.”

‘Grudging’

Barrister Naomi Cunningham, of Outer Temple Chambers, said: “Plaid Cymru’s tight-lipped and grudging concession implies that it thinks ‘the law as it stands’ is unsatisfactory, and it is hoping for a change of law that will enable it to discriminate on grounds of ‘gender-critical’ belief in future. “Activists are free to work towards that change if they choose, but meanwhile political parties along with public authorities, service providers and employers must all comply with the law as it is.”

FiLiA says its mission is to build sisterhood and solidarity, locally, nationally, and globally; to amplify the voices of women, particularly those less often heard or purposefully silenced; and to defend women’s human rights.

Its annual conference is the largest feminist conference in Europe. Since the first conference in 2013, FiLiA has platformed hundreds of speakers, artists and campaigners from more than 70 countries; and taken the event around the UK in order to engage more women; grown to a three-day gathering with almost 2,000 attending last year. The next conference will be held on October 10-12 2025 in southern England.