What are the parties saying about women’s rights and gender identity?

Sir Keir Starmer defended his position on single-sex spaces in Wednesday’s debate.

“It’s very important that we protect female-only spaces,” he said, adding that he treats transgender people “as I treat all human beings – with dignity and respect”.

He referred to guidance around the existing Equality Act, which says that a trans person with a Gender Recognition Certificate could be prevented from using a single-sex service in some circumstances.

It is not the first time he has been challenged about his messaging around women and transgender people.

In 2021, Labour MP Rosie Duffield, who has consistently argued that sex is a matter of biological fact, posted a message on social media stating: “Only women have a cervix.” Questioned about this, Sir Keir criticised her position, saying it was “not right”.

But in a recent BBC Question Time debate, he said he agreed with former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s comment, that “biologically, a woman is with a vagina and a man is with a penis”.

He followed that up by saying some people don’t identify with their birth sex, adding: “My view in life is to respect and give dignity to everyone, whatever their position.”

He suggested his earlier comments were made in the context of a “toxic” and “hardline” atmosphere around trans rights.

His comment prompted author JK Rowling to write in the Times newspaper that she would “struggle” to vote for him.

She said she was propelled by “freedom of speech and observable truth” and believed Labour was “dismissive and often offensive” towards women fighting to retain sex-based rights – she said the party had “abandoned” women.