Midlands Labour MPs speak on trans rights in letters to constituents

Several Labour MPs, including representatives from the Midlands, have supported trans rights in letters responding to concerns from their constituents. Concerns have been raised by many regarding the EHRC’s interim guidance following the recent Supreme Court ruling which said a woman, defined in terms of the Equality Act, must be based on biology.  

Constituents can write to their local MP about issues and concerns

Although many of the letters that The Times analysed were generic stock responses, many other correspondences revealed Labour MPs pushing back against the ruling and the subsequent doubt cast over the proposed guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), the equality regulator.

Josh Newbury, the MP for Cannock Chase, said in a letter, that it is “clear in my view that trans women are women and that trans men are men”.

He added that the Supreme Court ruling did not contradict that but that “the misinterpretation of, and fallout from, the ruling has wrongly brought this into question.

"I do not believe it is morally right for trans people to be excluded from single-sex spaces designated for their gender.”  

Another letter from Antonia Bance, the Labour MP for Tipton, Wednesbury and Coseley, tried to appease both trans rights advocates and those concerned about ‘women’s safety’, despite there being very little evidence of trans women being a threat to the latter.

She said that while she backed the Supreme Court and believed that in some cases single-sex spaces based on biological sex were “necessary”, she did not believe that the guidance from EHRC was clear.

She said: “We need clear rules to ensure that women are safe, and that they can expect privacy and dignity when they are vulnerable — for example because they have directly experienced male violence, or because they are sleeping, receiving intimate care, changing their clothes or showering.” She added that those cases were few but still she supports “the court’s judgment that woman means biological female — it is a clear and common-sense position”.

She said: “I doubt anyone will be entirely satisfied with the outcome — which more than likely will be a messy British compromise.”

In the letter, Bance described herself as “a lesbian woman out and proud for the last 26 years”. She added that “civil rights for trans people are non-negotiable.

"We still have some way to go to make sure no trans person is victimised or discriminated against.”

Alistair Strathern, the MP for Hitchin in North Hertfordshire, also responded to constituent concerns about the Supreme Court Ruling.

He wrote: “While I respect the independence of the judiciary, the UK Supreme Court and its decision, I share the concerns of many, including colleagues, of some of the risks and uncertainties opened up by the ruling. These risks have seemed exacerbated by the interim guidance from the EHRC that opens more questions than it answers.”

MPs further afield than the Midlands also responded directly to constituent concerns raised, including: Andre Western, a work and pensions minister and the MP for Stretford and Urmston, Noah Law, the MP for St Austell and Newquay, Louise Haigh, the former transport secretary, and Calvin Bailey, the MP for Leyton and Wanstead.

Labour leader and current Prime Minister, Kier Starmer’s stance on trans rights has been inconsistent. In 2022, he declared that “trans women are women”, however his recent actions and statements including welcoming the “clarity” of the judgment have seen him backtrack on this earlier stance.

Writing to your MP, regardless of their response, is an invaluable action because it not only informs them of concerns but can also educate them on issues including trans rights. To find your MPs contact details, visit the Parliamentary website.