Transgender women will be barred from the main hall at Labour’s women’s conference next year and will also be denied voting rights, Labour has said.
The party has ruled trans women will only be able to attend fringe events in what is seen to be a bid to adhere to the Supreme Court’s ruling on the legal definition of a woman.
The decision means trans women will not be allowed to vote on policy debates, motions and national women’s committee elections, nor will they be allowed to hear speeches and discussions in the main conference hall.
According to LabourList they will still be able to attend an evening reception, fringe events, and exhibition spaces.
Alternative proposals were reportedly also considered, including scrapping the conference altogether. But the cancellation of the women’s conference this year sparked outrage from both trans-inclusive and gender-critical campaigners.
There is currently no clear guidance for organisations on single-sex spaces after equalities minister Bridget Phillipson said she would take the necessary time to “get it right”.
The Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has previously written to Ms Phillipson, who is also education secretary, urging her to hurry up with bringing in the new guidance, warning some organisations are currently using unlawful practices.
The code has not been updated since 2011 and the latest draft has been produced in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling in April, which said the words “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex.
A Labour for Trans Rights group spokesperson told LabourList that the exclusion of trans women’s exclusion “terrible”.
“Trans members are being cut out of the democratic processes of the Labour Party when many have given years of service, knocking doors and standing as candidates,” they added.
A spokesperson for gender-critical group Labour Women’s Declaration told the publication the group welcomed the party deciding to “follow the law”, but said the party should go further and bar trans women from any single-sex or specifically women-focused workshops.
It comes after the Women’s Institute announced it would ban trans women from joining from April next year, saying it “had no other choice” following the Supreme Court ruling.
Also this week, Girlguiding announced that it would ban trans girls from joining.
A Labour Party spokesperson told LabourList: “National Women’s Conference will be held in 2026 after a comprehensive legal review. This reflects our commitment to addressing the underrepresentation of women in the Party and compliance with the law.”
