Internal divisions within Labour over transgender rights have surfaced following leaked WhatsApp messages from the party’s LGBT+ MPs group, revealing tensions among senior ministers about last week’s landmark Supreme Court ruling.
While government sources downplay the significance of the exchanges, arguing they don’t represent a mass rebellion, the leaked conversations expose simmering discontent within Labour’s ranks. Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle reportedly sought to calm fears, writing: “The ruling is not as catastrophic as it seems but the EHRC guidance might be & there are already signs that some public bodies are overreacting.”
The messages, obtained by the Mail on Sunday, show Culture Minister Sir Chris Bryant aligning with colleagues who criticized EHRC chair Baroness Falkner’s interpretation that the judgment bars trans women from female-only spaces and sports. Bryant allegedly agreed with an MP who called Falkner’s comments “pretty appalling.”
The leak highlights Labour’s delicate balancing act on transgender issues, with the party leadership attempting to reconcile progressive values with legal realities. As the practical implications of the ruling unfold, these internal disagreements threaten to erupt into open conflict, testing Labour’s unity on one of the most contentious social issues of our time.
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