Wes Streeting addresses puberty blockers decision -excellent response

Excellent and clear from Streeting.

Wes Streeting had to change his mind after the Cass report, the SNP also had to ban puberty blockers (discreetly on election day). I think there is a lot going on behind the scenes in medicine with the realisation of how damaging this has been on children, perhaps the infected blood scandal has focused minds?

BUT

This doesn't alter anything for adults who want to transition, which Labour still support, and for plastic surgeons etc it is in their interest for men to go through male puberty as they can perform more work to reverse the effects of it.

I'm bloody relieved that at last a Labour politician seems to understand the point; children should not be harmed by experimental treatment.

I noticed someone in the replies saying the decision should be clinical not political. I wonder how many clinicians would continue to prescribe puberty blockers if they had to personally indemnify their decision? I doubt they could get indemnity insurance without robust evidence of benefit.

I watched this yesterday which gives some interesting insight into how poor success rates in adult transition became the reason to transition children.

Dodds RT is a good sign

the usual TWAW suspects Labour MP - no hope for them

The Labour position before the election was never mysterious - they more or less adopted what they felt to be the median position of the general public - based a little bit on instinct but on research to some degree.

Both the strongly GC and the TRAs who were expecting/hoping for more are going to be disappointed.

However neither side is likely to have its worse fears realised.

Labour MPs refusing to accept Streeting's position and medical advice now at 5 they made posts about it on X. Some of the usual names, but others are absent looks like a lot are avoiding it.

Nadia Whittome MP
Clive Lewis
Zarah Sultana
Apsana Begum
Stella Creasy

Note this is a tiny number of backbench MPs all wit little heft in the party.

Streeting would have cleared his position with Starmer and other senior cabinet before going ahead.

Streeting's thread above has been reposted by Anneliese Dodds which is very interesting. With Dodds onboard with this we are seeing something new.

Yes, keeping children safe from harm is one thing (great though it is); supporting women in maintaining our existing rights is probably where the necessary sacrifice will be made to the GI gods....

It's so fascinating (in a dreadful way) watching TRA misunderstandings, obfuscation and perhaps deliberate lies become accepted "facts" in the responses.

So, it is now "fact" that:

The Cass report is discredited because it rejected all but two sources - this was shown very quickly to be a misunderstanding on the part of the person who initialluy claimed it but is still repeated

The Cass report is discredited because of that one Yale Law report

16 kids have killed themselves since blockers were stopped - I believe this was from Jolyon Maugham's claim suicides had happened but reports had been surpressed. He was going to show evidence from a whistleblower but as far as I know has not done so. This has not stopped the claim turned into an accepted fact for TRAs.

It also makes me furious to see these supposed allies of trans kids repeating and amplifying the lie that eveyone who disagrees with the assertion that self-identfied gender must replace known sex in all situations originally separated by sex "hates" trans people and "wants them to die".

It is this lie more than anything which is making these kids (and young adults) scared and feeling beseiged by people who in reality really have no ill will towards them other than wanting a different solution to the extremist "woman and men have different minds not different bodies, gender of the mind must be placed over sex in all things" demands currently being portrayed by TRAs as the only way to accept and make safe those who for whatever reason believe they have a trans gender identity.

Why exactly is it that TRAs are so keen to terrify people who identify as trans to the point that they cannot enagge with any other perspective, to the point they believe any disgreement is proof that those who disagree hate them and want them dead? (A rhetorical question - the answer of course is power and control)

Stopping the experimental treatment of children is but one part. There has been no word at all from Stonewall and co since this story broke and has now been confirmed by Wes himself. They could finally be cowering with their tail between their legs, or for all we know, a deal is being done to fuck women over.

This is about keeping children safe from harm in one specific area. The rest is very much an unknown. Hence the cautious welcomes.

Let's be honest, everyone wants to be wrong about Labour and women's rights. Nobody wants to be right!

Well, that's because the Labour Party have been completely captured for years.

Wes himself used to keep a list of Labour Women to kick out of the party due to knowing what a woman is.

Nobody can predict the future, and as much as I am totally behind him on this, I am extremely worried about the idea of a trial on this - bearing in mind we've had over 20 years of a trial with zero follow up. If they thought it was beneficial there would be evidence to show that. We don't want to restart this under the guise of another 20 years of a 'trial' when we know the devastation on people's bodies.

Pleasantly surprised. Hope it carries on

Yes,early days yet.

Hallelujah! Well done Wes.

The reaction is something else. This must put the “culture war” and “both-sides” narratives to bed surely.

Whilst this is great news, it shows how far things have gone when the Health Secretary gets abuse from ideologues for saying that children’s healthcare should be safe and evidence based.

Until Labour take further steps to undo the way trans ideology has advanced through society I remain cautious.

Very pleased to see this. Watching the responses from other Labour MPs with interest...

Well done, Wes.

Truthfully, I don't know whether a) Wes has seen the light on this or b) he's simply astute enough to see which way the wind is blowing and (unlike his colleagues) realises it's better to be on the side of the consultant paediatrician who has spent two years with a team of researchers looking into this than to be on the side of the random nutjobs on Twitter.

I’m delighted but remain cautious as there’s still far too many other issues which they need to address - far too much TWAW rhetoric in the party. Banning puberty blockers is only one step in the process to protect the rights of (bio obvs) women and girls - an important one certainly, but there’s still a long way to go.

Replies via Nitter. Should be viewable for all.

https://nitter.poast.org/wesstreeting/status/1812435914473295927?cursor=JQAAAPAWHBk2ioa4odfBiKcyyMK5reGPiqcygoOz5eOdiqcyJQISFQQAAA#r

https://archive.ph/qjvyR
Archive version.

operation #letthemspeak going very well in the replies 😳

Thread unroll for anyone not wanting to grapple with twittex

https://t.co/4jhxBur2ni

We shall indeed, @Theeyeballsinthesky .
So far not what some on here were claiming.

I am very glad to have been proved to be wrong about Mr Streeting's understanding of the issues and I am delighted he is confident enough of his position on these matters to state openly and without obfuscation what he intends to do and oversee.

Fenlandia · Today 12:10

Hopefully someone can sort out a readable version for those not on TwitterX...

Here you go:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5118080-telegraph-labour-moves-to-ban-puberty-blockers-permanently?page=11

ResisterOfTwaddleRex · Today 11:54
Wes Streeting:

x.com/wesstreeting/status/1812435914473295927?s=46&t=WHoOZ_3Kv5G6-FyQuvE0LQ

"Puberty Blockers. A 🧵

Children’s healthcare must always be led by evidence.

Medicine given to children must always be proven safe and effective first.

I know there’s lots of fear and anxiety.

Let me explain why this decision was taken.

1/9

Cass Review found there is not enough evidence about the long-term impact of puberty blockers for gender incongruence to know whether they are safe or not, nor which children might benefit from them.

The evidence should have been established before they were ever prescribed. 2/9

The NHS took the decision to stop the routine use of puberty blockers for gender incongruence/dysphoria in children.

They are establishing a clinical trial with NIHR to ensure the effects of puberty blockers can be safely monitored and provide the evidence we need.

3/9

The former Health Secretary issued an emergency order to extend the restriction on prescription to the private sector, which I am defending.

4/9

Puberty blockers have been used to delay puberty in children and young people who start puberty much too early.

Use in those cases has been extensively tested (a very different indication from use in gender dysphoria) and has met strict safety requirements.

5/9

This is because the puberty blockers are suppressing hormone levels that are abnormally high for the age of the child.

This is different to stopping the normal surge of hormones that occur in puberty. This affects children’s psychological and brain development.

6/9

We don’t yet know the risks of stopping pubertal hormones at this critical life stage.

That is the basis upon which I am making decisions.

I am treading cautiously in this area because the safety of children must come first.

7/9

Some of the public statements being made are highly irresponsible and could put vulnerable young people at risk.

I know there’s lots of fear and anxiety. I am determined to improve the quality of, and access to, care for trans people.

8/9

I hope this thread provides some context for the caution and care I am taking when it comes to this vulnerable group of young people.

The decisions I am taking will always be based on evidence, rather than politics or political pressure.

9/9"