Labour party set to cancel women’s conference following Supreme Court ruling
Labour has been advised to cancel its annual women's conference as it awaits guidance from an equalities watchdog as per leaked documents
By Gary Grimes
The Labour party is to cancel a planned all-women conference in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling on the term ‘woman’, as it awaits guidance from an equalities watchdog.
The National Executive Committee (NEC), which governs the party, is to meet today to sign off on plans to cancel the conference and prevent trans women from taking up “women’s officer roles”, reports LabourList. The conference is currently due to take place before the party’s annual conference this September in Liverpool.
Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that the terms ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ refer only to “biological women” in the context of the Equality Act 2010. Following the ruling, the Equality and Human Rights Commission issued interim advice which stated that organisations such as schools, workplaces and public services should not allow trans people to use single-sex spaces of the gender they identify as.
The NEC has been told that the party could face a legal challenge if the conference goes ahead in its current form, according to a leaked paper circulated to its members.
“There will be significant scrutiny on how the Party reacts to the judgment, and recent events have shown that there are highly motivated and well resourced groups with a range of different views that are prepared to issue legal claims in relation to the application of the Act,” the paper reads.
“Pending a wider review, all positive action measures relating to women in the Party’s rules and procedures shall be interpreted on the basis of biological sex at birth. Guidance shall be issued to all Party units and relevant stakeholders to this effect,” it goes on to say.
“The party will work with individuals and local parties affected by the judgment to resolve specific cases with sensitivity and compassion, acknowledging the significant effect the judgment will have had on many people.”
News of a plan to cancel the conference has already drawn criticism from various groups, inluding the gender critical group Labour Women’s Declaration who called such a move a “kneejerk reaction” and “incendiary action”.
“The Labour party must set an example and stand on the right side of history” – Labour for Trans Rights and Pride in Labour
“It would be exceptionally disappointing if our party, which strives to be a grown-up and serious political force, and a strong government, could not find the courage to run this conference as planned and run it in accordance with law which was introduced under a Labour government,” the group said. “Women deserve better.”
The rumoured cancellation was also criticised by Labour for Trans Rights and Pride in Labour who said, in a joint statement: “The Labour party must set an example and stand on the right side of history.”
They went to to day: “We would also question whether the exclusion of trans women from women’s conference is a proportionate means to achieve a legitimate aim, as trans issues have come up time and time again during the conference. This seems to completely remove trans people from that debate. It is a blatant attack on trans rights and is seemingly an attempt to isolate trans people even further within the Labour party and the labour movement more widely.”
It is understood that the party plans to comply with statutory guidance once published, and that ministers will consider the EHRC code of practice when a draft is submitted.
Attitude has reached out to Labour for comment.