EHRC guidance might be delayed for over a year

Got some updates on the oral and written question here:

Oral Question (Starred Q, 12:05): Baroness Hoey of Ashton-under-Lyne (Non-Affiliated, GC-leaning) asked Minister for Women and Equalities (via Baroness Hayman): "What progress her Department has made on laying the revised Equality and Human Rights Commission statutory code of practice on services, public functions and associations before Parliament?"
Hayman's Response: "The Department is carefully considering the draft code submitted on 4 September, including its equality impact assessment. We are committed to ensuring the guidance is clear, workable, and supports all protected characteristics. No timescale yet, but we will update Parliament soon." (Echoed Phillipson's Nov 4 Guardian: "Can’t put a timescale.")
Follow-Up (Hoey): "Given the Supreme Court's clarity in April, why the delay? Women in refuges and hospitals suffer while you appease lobbyists."
Hayman: "The judgment provides clarity; we're ensuring implementation protects everyone, including trans people under gender reassignment."
Impact: Brief (1 exchange); Hoey tweeted post-Q (11:45): "Pressed gov't—still stalling. #TheLawIsTheLaw demands action." (50 likes early).

Written Question (Tabled Nov 5, Answer Expected Nov 12): Lord Blencathra (Conservative) asked: "What assessment she has made of the potential merits of revoking the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s 2011 Code of Practice on Services, Public Functions and Associations in light of the Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers." No answer yet; likely to reference EHRC's Oct 15 letter.

Hansard from the House of Lords question today:

https://hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2025-11-05/debates/33DF0162-75ED-447D-9384-EE32A6422193/EqualityAndHumanRightsCommissionDraftUpdatedCodeOfPractice

Claire Coutinho also asked Phillipson a Q in Women & Equalities Qs today; clip available on X but not in Hansard yet.

https://x.com/ClaireCoutinho/status/1986076172015276357

Do you have a link to what was asked by any chance?

The questions in the House of Lords this morning from 11am include one on the EHRC Code of Practice. Will be live on Parliament TV.

Yes, I also think this. It’s basically what has happened up to the SC judgment.

The trouble with doing fuck all for as long as possible while loudly claiming that the law is too difficult and too complicated and too uncaring and too expensive... is that it is undermining respect for the Equality Act 2010. And when that goes we are all fucked. Not even just women as women, but everyone who ever needs protection for any and all of the different protected characteristics. Letting this drag on is reputational damage for the government, yes, and for equality law.

Anyone want to speculate on the impact of 'Rose' Henderson and his holey boxers hitting the headlines vis a vis the guidelines?

Bless him.

What happens is, you have a policy, and you know it’s being infringed but you don’t care to investigate further, then you have a few complaints, word gets round, custom drops off, you get a reputation for being a dodgy business, people avoid your business, because if you don’t care about this law, what else don’t you care about? Fire regulations? Health and safety? the police investigate any reported assaults, harrasments or voyeurism, and if your business needs a licence to operate (alcohol or live music etc) it becomes difficult in many more ways.

it’s a bit like underage alcohol sales.

Seem to remember these whatabouterries coming up on other threads.

So could be said they dont need to be answered on a thread about guidances delayed

IMO

I’m not sure you’re grasping what the issue is here, it’s not about “witnessing transgressions” and being upset by them, it’s being subject to the sexual harassment of having a man in a space which women use for our privacy and dignity, and also being subjected to greater risk of sexual assault or other violence.

If you had a no indoor smoking policy (and its illegal)
would not enforcing it
make the law go away ?

I'm not experienced with managing customer behaviour, apologies.
I'll try anther way.
If an organisation you frequented had an appropriate policy, took no action after transgressions occurred such that the transgressions became so common that the policy may as well not exist and you witnessed one of these transgressions and it upset you, would you take them to court?

I hope there will be a question about this at PMQs tomorrow.

It's good to know, hopefully it will send a message to the 'trans'maidens in the Labour that they're not the sole voice of the Labour Party.

That's an even more vague answer than the last. 🤣

I mean that they take appropriate action if someone enters a space contra their policies so that transgressions against the policies do not become routine and the policies lose all meaning as a result.

The Labour government has been accused by gender-critical groups of slow-walking guidance for schools and businesses following the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman.

LGB Labour and Lesbian Labour both accused the government of adding “additional hurdles into the path of the much-awaited guidance” and warned further delay to the implementation of the Supreme Court’s ruling could result in “expensive litigation and reputational damage for the government and its departments”.

Article in full at https://labourlist.org/2025/11/labour-ehrc-trans-guidance-supreme-court/

https://x.com/michaelpforan/status/1985744729254826099?t=IUUyuHqM6e9j2RvrqjKHig&s=19

They said: “This is a long and legally complex document and we are carefully considering it – and we make no apology for it. It would be catastrophic for single sex-services to follow guidance that wasn’t legally sound and then place them in legal jeopardy again. That is why it is vital we get this right.

This could actually be a good thing because, once they approve it, there's no going back. They have been thorough and they have got it right. It's just a waiting game imo.

Do these muppets ignore other Supreme Court rulings ?

Do they only stop at red traffic lights if the police are there ?

It depends what you mean by “enforce”. Why not spell out exactly what you mean, then I will answer you.

Toilets are ‘gendered bathrooms’ - I think not. There is a reason urinals are in the men’s and not the women’s loos and it’s got little to do with ‘gender’ and far more to do with being able to stand and pee because of their biological sex.

Would choosing not to enforce their policies count as encouragement?