Bridget Phillipson blocking EHRC guidance - thread 2

Im starting to think she doesn't want to do it.

I didn't think she was very clear about when the guidance would be laid before parliament. She said as soon as possible, but then there were lots of little qualifications. It shouldn't be that difficult.

I heard that interview and Adam Boulter also asked her [twice] if women could have a penis which resulted in a long pause.....Needless to say she did not actually provide a direct answer.

I have just heard Bridget Philipson on Times radio where she was questioned on when the guidance would be laid before Parliament. She said it would be as soon as possible when Parliament returns, after the King's speech. So within the month. She also said that the Supreme Court judgment made it clear that sex means biological sex and "I know what a woman is" when the interviewer (Adam Boulton) asked her.

Maybe mandleson would have been a step too far?

This looks like Operation Save Big Dog all over again, when Boris's people knew he was doomed but were just trying to help him survive each day.

I think the theory is that the PLP is extremely jittery, and Brown carries weight with Scottish MPs and Harman carries weight with women MPs, both groups that have issues with Starmer. There's zero evidence that they're popular with actual voters.

But if the response to a drubbing from voters is to say "send for Harriet and Gordon", I can't help wondering if someone in the Downing Street bunker has gone mad... or if someone is actively sabotaging their delusional leader because they know he'll never go voluntarily.

Harman. Great. He's only one step away from asking Alistair Campbell to advise.

On the one hand it says something about this man's thought processes that people tell him the voters want change, and his instinct is to make up part-time jobs to bring back Labour politicians from 20 years ago.

But also, he's already got two ministers with VAWG responsibilities, Jess Phillips (Home Office) and Alex Davies-Jones (MOJ). If he feels the need to bring in Harman as an adviser in the same area, what does that say about his confidence in his ministers?

(Not that I've got much confidence in Jess but I'm not the PM)

Next thing you know he'll be announcing Harold Shipman as health secretary.

I agree @ickky I’d feel happier if it was Gordon Brown as advisor for women and girls

Jeepers. Starmer really hasn’t bothered to get his head round the issues AT ALL, has he, if he thinks Harman is the solution?

Oh great, the same Harriet Harman who supported P.I.E. (paedophile information exchange).

Sure to be a wonderful result for Women and Girls.

@PingponghavocI guess she’s got her wish. Harriet Harman is going to be a special divisor on women and girls! Heaven knows what this will mean for the legislation!
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2026/may/09/may-elections-results-keir-starmer-labour-nigel-farage-reform-uk-politics-latest-news-updates?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

I suppose a reshuffle isn't out of question. Maybe she's hoping its going to be someone else's problem?

Parliament returns on the 13th for the King's Speech, and rises on the 21st for Whitsun recess, not returning until 1st June. That sounds like a joke about MPs' working patterns, but it's just the parliamentary timetable. So Bridget has a window of about a week to lay the guidance, and if she hasn't done it by the 21st that's another firm commitment broken.

She might do it, but I wouldn't bet against her coming back with yet another Bart Simpson book report.

Ophelia, I agree, I think there is no incentive for Labour to do anything now except either replace Starmer as quickly and quietly as they possibly can, or spend the next few months propping him up with excuse after excuse , just to get them to August, and pretend we will all have forgotten about it by September.

It really is a mess for Labour. And, of course, among all the platitudes, excuses, and accusations from those who have lost, there's a lot of "we should have listened to the working people " and "we're out of touch with the people " and "we need a viable economic strategy to take us into 2029, and Keir doesn't have it" - not ONE word about having lost the confidence of millions of women. Not that I have read this evening. No mention of the word women at all.

Par for the course. Labour will always think of Labour first.

We'll either get a miracle laying of the guidance on 31 May, or the guidance will be quietly buried.

So... May 31st then?

There was a direct quote from a government spokesperson in the Lords Monday before last explicitly saying that the guidance would be laid in May

Labour are very skilled at kicking the can down the road. If Starmer isn't forced out this weekend, then we've got the King's Speech next week when MPs won't want to disrupt government business, then if he survives another week it's Whitsun recess, then it's June and maybe the MPs won't be as angry any more.

It's very like the last days of Boris Johnson where it was just a matter of getting the boss through another day.

Bridget is following the same logic.

I think the Greens not doing as well as predicted in the local elections could settle the nerves for Labour (make them a bit less worried about losing votes on the Left) and make them more inclined to lay the guidance before Parliament but I'm not counting on it because Labour seems to exist to piss me off these days.

Well, today is David Attenborough's 100th birthday, and I believe I read that some low key festivities are planned. Could squeeze it in at the weekend?