Even without self ID you can change your documents

[SwearyGodPervert]

One of the brave ManFriday chaps shows here how easily people falsify their documents re their sex in spite of them not having a GRC.

What is the point of a sex marker on a document if it isn’t accurate? And what is the point of the GRA if it’s already ignored?

He (its Friday, so I’m not misgendering MNHQ) explains it better than I can on the blog so do have a read.

the Government just did not think

I'm willing to bet it's not government ministers but relatively junior officials who have decided how to treat requests like yours. Of course ministers are responsible for what happens in their departments, but I would wager large sums of money no-one has ever sent a paper to a minister asking them to confirm that they are happy with a policy of changing M to F (or vice versa) on driving licence or passports simply on receipt of a form requesting it and nothing else.