Why has the updated EHRC guidance not been laid before parliament yet and does anyone have insight on when it will be?

[SingleSexSpacesInSchools]

I suspect as Phillipson is in the deputy leader competition. If that had been but a few days later. (updated guidance arrived the same Friday)

That guidance being in place is the thing I and so many places are waiting for. It's urgently needed.

This has become pure politicking. Under normal circumstances, BP would have checked with senior civil servants that the guidance doesn't contain any demonstrable errors and then laid it before parliament within a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, she wants to be the next Deputy Leader of the LP and she has calculated that laying it before Parliament may lose her votes.

Cynical abuse of power and disregarding the actual impact on people's lives in the interest of advancing her personal objectives? Surely not.

The Social Democratic Parry has a clear position on women’s rights, but is unfortunately nowhere near as popular as Reform!

OP, if I was you I think I’d send school a letter before action, see if that raises them from their slumber (I’d hope that they would then take proper legal advice which would tell them they cannot ignore the letter or the Supreme Court judgment while they await the EHRC guidance).

I probably should. but then I'd need to back it up and I worry about it backfiring on my daughter, this all gets a bit much sometimes :)

Yes, it is hard when our kids are involved and you can’t trust schools to separate the issues out/not take it out on the child.

A letter before action can lead to no action, though, it just engages the civil procedure rules which means they can’t ignore it as easily/fob you off. You can still drop it at any time/you’re not obliged to start legal action (in fact the whole point of the pre-action protocol is to try to avoid legal action being started/get the parties to resolve matters between themselves).

But you need to do what you’re comfortable with - absolutely no judgement from me if this is a step too far.

I wonder if it’s worth asking to see the equality impact assessment and if it follows the latest one by the DfE?

Link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-accountability-reform-equality-impact-assessment

mentions for women Scotland ruling

Apologies, this is the one I meant but I’m not sure how useful it is. It mentions for women Scotland and is v clear on sex

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68baa90ab0a373a01819fe9c/Relationships_and_Sex_Education_Equality_Impact_Assessment-_2025.pdf

the school refused to share it as they said it had personal information in it and they would not redact. Which means they did one for the trans child, but not for the female students in the school (which would be general endnote personal)

Can you imagine this happening if the candidates included men? Stop trying to be hip, you're running the country FFS.

I don't understand why Stonewall isn't tied up in court with dozens of cases already. Allison Bailey's chambers for a start.

Labour will not go to the polls before 2029 unless they are convinced they will win the election. With a huge majority they have no need to go to the country. Even a confidence vote would be won easily.

They have a lot of policies to implement and won't risk those falling. Even if the polls swing back in favour in 2027, say, they would be returned with a reduced majority. The earliest we will see another election will be 2028 and only then if they are guaranteed to win.

The majority of the Labour Party members are women, who will welcome the guidance, so BP may lay the guidance before Parliament during the contest. She is very unlikely to win the contest anyway as the smart money is on Lucy Powell, so she has nothing to lose.

Thats not how it works, events often over take incumbent governments and they are forced to run an early election for a dozen different feasible reasons.

I don't want to get bogged down in that, and we will, but suffice to say I believe there to be a more than 50/50 chance of an election prior to 2029

Powell is 56% to Phillipson 44% as of yesterday
https://www1.politicalbetting.com/index.php/archives/2025/09/29/a-bridget-too-far/

The last time Labour had a stonking majority, they waited four years 1997-2001, slightly delayed by the foot and mouth outbreak. Then another four years from 2001-2005, where they won another landslide majority, albeit less than 1997, then to almost the five year limit to 2010 because they knew they would lose.

Later elections were dictated by the change in the law to fixed term parliaments (which Boris Johnson got rid of), and Theresa May being an idiot. The Tories are not Labour.

Labour won't call an election until 2028 at the earliest.

They might not have a choice. There are so many ways that could happen. But. Let's not derail.

Anyway. Phillipson not being the favourite and her odds shrinking by the day, you would think she would perhaps do something big to try and swing the momentum.... maybe she will take a punt on approving the guidance

Phillipson can do nothing until Parliament is back in session

Its sunny. Enjoy that for now.

Lucy Powell, also a candidate for deputy leader thinks the guidance is very unfair on trans women 🙄

New trans rules go too far, says Labour deputy leadership frontrunner
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/09/30/trans-rules-wrong-labour-deputy-contender/

Which is nice
but the Supreme Court ruling still stands

too many politicians are hard of thinking nowadays

She's just making the kind of noises that are expected of her, surely? She can huff and puff all she likes, but the House isn't going to change the law.

Yes. It's dreadful that women have rights. Women should have to provide non consenting access to their bodies to men. This is Fair.

Apparently.

If you're absolutely off your nut.

Powell is apparently favourite to be deputy leader 🤦🏻‍♀️

Law no, guidance, possibly.

Wow! I’ve just cringed so badly I put my back out.

What are they thinking??

The guidance cannot contradict the ruling.

The ruling is utterly clear

The House can change the law, its the main point of Parliament. But opening the Equality Act would be a major event, would be politically and financially expensive and would cause chaos. The Government aren't inclined to lean into that own goal right now. They have bigger issues.

I suppose the House could vote to refuse (or amend) the guidance, but would there even be a majority for that? Starmer must be hating this.