Trans women to be barred from main Labour women’s conference in 2026 | Labour

Transgender women will be banned from attending the main part of Labour’s women’s conference next year and will be denied entry to the main conference hall and the right to vote, the party has said.

Under the party’s plans, all delegates would be allowed to attend a spin-off program as Labor tries to find a compromise position that it believes would comply with the high court’s ruling on gender, while also being inclusive of trans delegates.

The decision, first reported by LabourList, means trans women will be banned from voting in policy debates, motions and national women’s committee elections, and from listening to speeches in the main auditorium.

Along with the additional programming, the planned evening reception and exhibition spaces will also be open to the public, LabourList said.

A. Labor for Trans Rights A spokesman for the group told LabourList the move was “appalling” and called on the party’s national executive committee to reconsider.

They said: “Transgender members are being excluded from Labour’s democratic processes, at a time when many are serving for years, knocking on doors and standing as candidates.”

Spokesperson for gender critical group Working Women’s Declaration He told the site that he welcomed the party’s decision to “abide by the law” but that single-sex or specifically women-focused workshops should also be regulated under the Equality Act.

The party canceled this year’s event, which was due to take place before the party’s annual conference in Liverpool in September, as it awaits full guidance from the equalities watchdog on the high court ruling.

Equality and Human Rights Commission provisional advice Proposed voluntary organizations should enforce the biologically female-only rule.

A Labor Party spokesman said: “The national women’s conference will be held in 2026 following a comprehensive legal review. This reflects our commitment to ensuring women are under-represented in the party and complying with the law.”

The former head of the human rights watchdog accused Labor of abandoning women on issues such as gender rights and sex grooming rings.

Kishwer Falkner said the party had lost touch with its “core values” and could no longer call itself a party of equality and feminism.

Lady Falkner of Margravine he told the Times The government’s failure to issue legal guidance after the high court’s ruling was because ministers were “fearful of MPs” who wanted the entire community to “identify as transgender”.

In response to Falkner’s comments, a government spokesperson told the Times: “We are unrepentant in taking the time to produce legally sound guidance to guide businesses and organizations and ensure they have the safety and dignity they deserve; the alternative of issuing rushed and flawed guidance would be utterly disastrous and would fail women right across our country.”