Labour has completely abandoned women’s rights – former equalities watchdog head

Labour has “completely abandoned women’s rights”, the former head of the equalities watchdog has said.

Speaking to the Times newspaper, former head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Baroness Falkner of Margravine criticised the UK Government for not publishing statutory guidance after a Supreme Court ruling on single-sex spaces in April, which said the words “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex.

Baroness Falkner said women and transgender people had been left in a “grey zone” by the Government over this lack of guidance.

She said: “What really depresses me about the current state of the Labour Party is that they seem to have completely abandoned women’s rights.

“The traditional party of rights, in my 40 years in this country, was the Labour Party. The party of feminism.

“I was mentored by a former, very senior, Labour woman, Shirley Williams.

“I was aware of women like Harriet Harman, Margaret Jay and Hilary Armstrong, Labour women who were committed to feminism … and I think they’ve lost it.

“This generation of Labour MPs have lost it.”

Organisations are still awaiting new transgender guidance produced by the EHRC, which is being assessed by Government.

Ministers have had the guidance for three months, but have said they would not “rush” publication of a proposed code of practice which will be used by businesses and other organisations to inform their provision of single and separate-sex services such as toilets and changing rooms.

The guidance requires ministerial approval and would only come into force 40 days after the UK Government has laid the draft code in Parliament.

The EHRC wrote to women and equalities minister Bridget Phillipson in October urging her to hurry up with bringing in the new guidance, saying some organisations were currently using unlawful practices.

The code has not been updated since 2011 and the latest draft has been produced in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling.

A Labour source said: “After more than a decade of women and girls being badly let down, it’s this Labour government that is delivering a comprehensive strategy to tackle violence against them, delivering on their priorities and ensuring women have more opportunity to lead the lives they choose.”

A government spokesperson said: “We are unapologetic about taking the time to produce legally sound guidance that will guide businesses and organisations, and ensure have the the safety and dignity they deserve; the alternative, issuing rushed and flawed guidance, would be utterly catastrophic and fail women across our country.”

Baroness Falkner’s comments come after the National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI) said this week that transgender women will be banned from becoming members from April next year, and Girlguiding announced it has banned trans girls from joining.

The NFWI’s decision was taken “with the utmost regret and sadness”, the organisation said, adding that it retains the “firm belief that transgender women are women”.

Girlguiding said it had been a “difficult decision” which had been made after “detailed considerations, expert legal advice and input from senior members, young members”, its council and board of trustees.