Here's a rough, amateur transcript of the Ed Balls bit:
EB - But to just ask you a kind of particular question then because, you know, clearly we were reporting that the um, in sport now um, it's been decided that women who aren't sexually a woman shouldn't be able to (unitelligible), exactly, that slightly, um, provoked my question, er, so, er, um those women, um, those, um, people will not be able to compete in a swimming race if they are trans um have transitioned and clearly it's important to have protections around, er, safe spaces and you referred to that earlier but, is it not possible in your view for somebody who was a man to become, as they would describe it, a woman?
KS - No, you can't change sex, it's not biologically possible
EB - Yeah but I didn't ask you about sex, I asked you about if they could become a woman
KS - Well that's a... Womanhood, I would say is entirely, predicated on sex, there's no other good way of doing...
EB - Lots of people would say that's an extreme view
KS - If you'll let me explain...
EB - But a lot of people would say that's an extreme view
KS - Well of course they do but if you will let me explain my reasoning, biology is the thing that affects our body's performance in sport, that affects our chances of being sexually assaulted, that affects...
EB - I can see all that, I can see all that
KS - Well then, so what's the word for that adult human female? Woman, I'm afraid.
EB - So if a transperson transitions and legally becomes a woman. Wants to be described as a woman
KS - I'll describe him as a woman for certain limited
EB - But you see
KS - purposes but there's got to be limits because
EB - You see
KS - obviously broader debate that we just talked about matters.
EB - Yeah, I understand about that. I understand. The, the thing I feel is that there's two extremes having this big fight. And actually most people in the centre ground think well of course that person's not sexually a woman but actually they can become legally a woman and they are a woman.
KS - They can...
EB - And why do you want to tell a vulnerable, young 21 year old that they can't be a woman because you have decided they are not allowed to be one.
KS - Well I didn't decide it. I mean the human, we're animals, we're based in nature. The world decided it. Evolution decided it. I mean, it's crazy to think that just because I make some category distinctions that have been around for centuries and in every natural language, that I'm deciding who gets to be a woman. I'm not, I'm describing the world I see and we have evolved to make differentiations between males and females in the human species and they are very useful distinctions, the whole future of reproduction depends on recognising males and fe...
EB - So you're saying to someone who transitions, they are not a woman.
KS - I don't go up to them and say that...
EB - but you are saying it
KS - I'm happy to, yes, if in general I am because...
EB - Do you understand though
KS - it matters
EB - that is the thing that makes people feel as though they (indistinguishable)
KS - Yes I understand that but
EB - Some people say
KS - I also understand
EB - any body can be a woman and other people say they can't be a woman. And actually most people in the middle think, well actually...
KS - Well how do you know what most people in the middle think Ed? Have you polled them?
EB - Well, I mean, um, I think that, um, I do know what most people think.
KS - Oh yeah, I can see that <chuckles>
EB - And you think I'm wrong?
KS - Well, I think if you look at the polling on this...
EB - <groans>
KS - it depends how you phrase the question. If you ask can a woman have a penis, most people say no.
EB - Yeah but I agree with that.
KS- Oh ok. Hmm <chuckles> Right. So obviously you are more extreme than many
EB - I'm telling you. Yeah but I'm telling you it's complicated. That in your attempt to symphathise you end up extremely polarised
KS - I know that you think it's complicated. I wrote a whole book about it, to go through every single argument and I assure you that I'm also prepared to go along with preferred pronouns, I'm prepared to immerse myself in the fiction that someone has changed sex but I don't think they actually have and I think we need words to describe the differences between males and females because they matter socially...
EB - Someone who has transitioned and wants to be a woman, I think it's fine to call them a woman. I don't know why you don't want to allow them to make that choice
KS - I know, well that's why we're arguing about it. It's a difference of opinions.
Car crash interview. He didn't want to hear anything about it and made sure the viewers couldn't either.
All I have to say is - are YOU 'sexually' a woman?
😂