EHRC Code of Practice on Services, Public Functions and Associations has been laid - here is the Code itself

[SingleSexSpacesInSchools]

Written Statement made by: Secretary of State for Education and Minister for
Women and Equalities (Bridget Phillipson) on 21 May 2026:

https://commonsbusiness.parliament.uk/Document/105423/Pdf?subType=Standard

I have approved the draft Code submitted on 4 September 2025 and as updated by the EHRC in April 2026 following engagement with government and their consideration of consultation responses and further legal analysis.
The current Code was produced in 2011 and there have been significant developments since then, including the Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland, resulting in the EHRC wanting to update the Code.
Following last year’s Supreme Court ruling, the draft Code’s content on sex and gender reassignment has changed substantially from the 2011 version. The ruling made it clear that sex means biological sex for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010 and that trans people are still protected by the Act under the protected characteristic of ‘gender reassignment’.

The Code of Practice on Services, Public Functions and Associations itself:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-draft-code-of-practice-for-services-public-functions-and-associations-2026

This is a very good point. Let’s get those numbers?

Of course hostile environments are being created but that wasn't the question i was answering. The question i was answering was dealing with prosecuting a man for harassment, which needs somebody to make a complaint about his specific action on the day.

No I haven't. The question i was answering was not about a civil case of not providing lawful spaces, it was about prosecuting a man for being in a female only space, which needs a complainant.

However those civil cases you quoted also required women to have complained, they didn't happen spontaneously.

However annoying it may be, women are going to have to fight and speak up, our battle isn't won just because the law has been clarified. I'm particularly annoyed that the sports changes have not been applied to the lower levels in most sports, only the elite ones.

However annoying it may be, women are going to have to fight and speak up, our battle isn't won just because the law has been clarified.

I agree 100%. The law is not a magic spell that makes people behave differently.

The majority of "duty bearers" under the Equality Act 2010 show no sign of spontaneously deciding to respect women's legal rights.

Stonewall easily persuaded them to "go above and beyond the law" (break the law) because they did not give a second thought about how it would affect women and girls and how they would feel about it.

That made it very clear that we were never on a level playing field: "equality" was just as much a "legal fiction" as people being able to change sex. The failure of organisations to react promptly to clarification of the law shows that things have not changed.

If anything, things are worse culturally, if not legally. The norm was entrenched that women would politely give way, that they would tolerate having to share intimate spaces with strange men. At the extremes: to get naked with them in changing rooms and ignore their eyes, comments and erections without complaint; to be locked up in cells with violent sex offenders and paedophiles.

We have to turn around decades of profound disrespect for women and girls. A generation has grown up conditioned to find it normal and acceptable that women and girls must surrender to the desires of delusional men and boys. Some are aware that this also allows sexual perverts to use women and girls as masturbatory fodder. They know that those in charge are content, or pleased, to enable their exploitation as free range porn objects.

It is not just in this area that the legal fiction of equality has been demonstrated. The institutional enablers of mass child rape and torture by brown-skinned grooming gangs sacrificed thousands of girls on the altars of anti-racism and "community cohesion".

The law does not stop people doing bad things, or dangerous things like driving at 60 through a 20 mile zone. Law enforcement and social mores do.

We have not got anywhere near the point where most people in positions of authority would not dream of forcing women and girls to share toilets and changing rooms with men and boys. They are not ashamed to be knowingly breaking the law. They are not afraid of societal disapproval. Some of them even make it very obvious when they flout the law that they consider themselves to be potential martyrs in the just fight for "trans rights".

The only way any of the above will stop is by being threatened with legal action or actual legal action. Then more people will fall in line and very gradually the social contract will be restored. In the meantime, the fact that we have got the law on our side counts for nothing unless we ensure that the law is enforced.

IMHO the next part of the battle is going to include a fight against organisations that think they can get away with taking the cheap option and making all services "gender neutral", ie. mixed sex.

Agree completely on all points @POWNewcastleEastWallsend

as so many others, and I are finding, the new guidance is apparently complicated and will take time to absorb blah blah blah

every single organisation will need to be taken to task

they really will make everything mixed sex , get it wrong and have to be threatened with the law

and god knows how we fix the education issue, an entire generation of women has been taught to ignore all of this. That’s the most terrifying part.

I’ve lost track of the state of play - due to all the posturing.

Has an MP actually called for a debate or raised a motion?

My understanding is that it will automatically go through if not. I’m not well versed in these things so even if nothing has been tabled/ requested, perhaps this is usually done later in the 40 day period🤷‍♀️

Parliament has been in recess since the code was laid so there has been no opportunity for any MP to do anything.

It will all kick off again tomorrow.

Thank you.

This is the process to try to block the code using what is called a Fatal Prayer Motion. Near impossible to pull off. If they actually try which is uncertain they will:

https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/sn02569/

The Lib Dems may have an opposition day which they could have a prayer motion debate on. They might just posture and do nothing though because a debate would be awkward.

See Lib Dem thread for more:
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5536296-ed-davey-says-the-ehrc-code-has-failed-in-its-objective-and-calls-for-post-legislative-scrutiny-of-the-gra-ea-presumably-to-legally-allow-blokes-in-the-ladies?

yep thats right - and the debate really would be awkward, the opportunity to put all this out on display, and the way MPs have become much braver about taking the GC position means it could really backfire on MPs trying to push back the code

And as we all know, it's just the code

What would the MPs propose they do to rewrite the code whilst staying equality act compliant?

they would have to say in parliament and be questioned about how they put square peg in a round hole.

My MP has come out to say they will be working with colleagues to challenge the EA. Initially they complained about the “unworkable” guidance but swiftly changed tack to say they weren’t undermining the EHRC and it’s the underlying law which is the problem… Im hoping the reality of what they are proposing starts to dawn - as they’d be looking to put in place what Australia seems to be about to reverse…. I hope they shut up and get back in their box

We’re approaching the crunch point where the two sides of this cannot exist side by side any more. It’s been getting closer and closer and harder and harder for 10 years.

but this is the crunch point.

I think The gender critical position is winning and will because once every avenue is pursued, material reality must prevail.

I resigned my LIbDem membership; over this. I still deliver leaflets for them and have a batch to do right now. But this will be last time.

I have had enough. I as a woman have rights too. Women Lib Dems are many of the foot soldiers of the party and it's time they remembered that.

There is a ministerial statement on the code of practice in the Commons this afternoon.

There is a Q in the lords at 1430 as well Lord Strasburger

Can you not just recycle the lot? Or just hand them back and say that since Ed Davey doesn't think women should have rights, you're done?

Agreed this is a big crunch point.

James Murrell and Burnham saying sex is real is indicative. Labour will vote down any attempt to stop the guidance if it even gets to a vote which it probably won't.

The clock is ticking are the opponents of the guidance going to do anything?

It really would be telling if they can't muster enough conviction to list a Fatal Prayer Motion in the Commons or the Lords.

Re crunchpoint:

Butting in just to say, have you seen the Guardian article?
(yes, you heard me right)

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5537040-guardian-gets-it-right?callback=in&error=server_error&error_description=timeout%20exceeded

Reddit's in meltdown.

go to 14:50

https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/afce27af-b77e-4254-8d75-9fe4e45d6cf7

it's a banger. 12 minutes long.

The mental health impact on trans people, wah wah wah, I’m sorry but none of them have given two fucks for the mental health impact on women and girls. The double standards are astounding.

My employer has issued their statement which is basically this code of practice is in review in the meantime continue to act in line with our EDI policy. The whole thing depresses me

Gwent Police have been sent a letter before action by WRN for not changing their policy, per story in the Times.

Technically correct about the guidance, but not the law of course...

Can you not just recycle the lot? Or just hand them back and say that since Ed Davey doesn't think women should have rights, you're done?

I hadn't thought of that! I have delilvered some and since I am going away in a couple of days I might not be able to deliver the rest.

I am sad about the way they have gone. When we were fighting elections and getting useless Tory MPs and councillors out we had a good time. But once I read about Natalie Bird, and them forcing her to stand down for a T shirt stating what woman was I thought "I'm done with this as a member, this isn't what I pay my subs for."

The question I would like to ask is why was it Sandie Peggie or the Darlington Nurses or Maya Forstater... who had to go to Employment Tribunals? It wasn't "Beth" Upton who was being discriminated by the men in NHS Fife was it?Repeat the question for all the other cases.