House of Commons this afternoon. Ministerial statement on new code of practice

[impossibletoday]

From c 16.41

https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/6cf14ecc-c54b-4536-9f93-66c8e8f6334e

Finished about 17.51

Mims Davis
Sarah Owens
Marie Goldman
Nadia Whittome
Stella Creasy
Christine Jardine
Leyland Moran
Alex Sopel
to name but a few

FWS...
'If you want to get really angry....'

I summarised on the other thread, but yes, don't bother.

Tiny number of people there, all rampant TRAs.

Govt spokesperson left alone to take it. Much burble and er er er.

Repeating of its special data and you cant ask but ask sensitively (?), and members of the public should NOT question anyone else in a space but should also use common sense to question (?) , and inform a member of staff. Total bobbins. (One plus, confirmed all govt estate will be compliant.)

No mention at any time of women's needs for single sex spaces, their reasons, their exclusion, their equal rights to trans people, you'd think the guidance had been drawn up purely to annoy trans people.

One gem was when an MP said the obvious solution was to remove women's facilities, and another said to re write the EqAct and GRA to get women's rights out of them (didn't phrase it that way but that was what she meant.)

bloody hell.

I only saw a bit of the statement which I interpreted as “The code of practice says (i) sex means sex, but also (ii) we should all be kind and turn a blind eye”.

Couldn’t bear to watch any more.

I take heart that obviously the vast majority of MPs did not want to listen to or discuss this.

One nut commented that no member of the LGBTWhatever could want this - her experience is obviously very limited, many of us do madam, and what's more, the SCJ protected GAY RIGHTS.

This is the text (uncorrected?) for those who want to mull it over.

https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2026-06-01/debates/CE610C68-7093-454F-B897-AF008EE7E7A0/EqualityAct2010CodeOfPractice

And think Mims Davies made good points about delay but of course no real response.

Only a Labour Chair of WEC could make it not be about women but about poor, misused trans people!

Madam Deputy Speaker
I call the Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee.

Sarah Owen (Luton North) (Lab)
I really wish that there was a better beginning to Pride Month than what we are discussing. Although the code is marginally different from its draft, it is still a trans-exclusionary one at its core, and unfortunately not inclusive. Moves like this from the EHRC and the Government have seen the UK slip from third in 2019 to 22nd in the European rankings for LGBT+ people to live and feel safe. Does the Minister share my concern that the new code of practice will only further the UK’s now hostile environment for trans people and not calm it? How will she act to stop the erosion of LGBT+ rights in this country?

‘In the majority of cases, we are talking about changing signs on existing facilities or updating them so they may be fully enclosed.’

Thereby reducing health and safety for anyone at their most vulnerable.

The funny thing is - no Green MPs spoke.

One is off sick, two are hardline Muslims, but two - including the sainted Hannah - should have been available.

Trans Redditors are already saying they're sure they had really good reasons for not being there. But the rumblings have started 😆

Sarah Owens....

Although the code is marginally different from its draft, it is still a trans-exclusionary one at its core, and unfortunately not inclusive.

Yes. Yes it is you absolute twit, the point is including all women too which you cannot do in a mixed sex space. 'Inclusion' is not a men with gender identities only thing, women get included too. Women NEED some spaces where men are not. This will not actually hurt those men to cope with this idea.

Moves like this from the EHRC and the Government have seen the UK slip from third in 2019 to 22nd in the European rankings for LGBT+ people to live and feel safe.

Improving no end in equality and access for all, including women and gay people though, so there's a plus - and don't say LGBT+ when you actually and exclusively mean trans. Many LGBT+ people are women and homosexuals BOTH GROUPS OF WHICH rely on the SCJ judgment and guidance and whose rights and equalities cannot exist without them.

You'd think there was no one else on the planet but trans identified men.

It seems like they are not expecting much to change compared to before the supreme court judgement. Lots of mentions of not expecting the public to challenge each other and to use common sense. People who weren’t challenged before will just continue, but someone obviously taking the piss can now be removed and challenged. That seems like an improvement

I’ll listen tomorrow but if they don’t expect much to change i think they’re in for a shock. Women still won’t directly challenge men in the ladies but there will be a slew of complaints, tribunals and court claims…. And increasingly common out of court settlements… How much public money will they be prepared to sign off to pay all the claims before they have to go kicking and screaming with 4th spaces?

Thats my interpretation of what the government want to happen.

Basically, they don't expect these men to comply and don't expect women to mention it.

They’ve got another think coming, haven’t they.

https://x.com/JournalismSEEN/status/2061644930234150992

Hope this link works but it’s a clip of Jonathan Hinder on Newsnignt last night. I listened live and couldn’t quite believe it. It’s worth a listen as he berates the Labour Party of ignoring working people and indulging middle class hobby horses. He is pushed by Victoria Derbyshire who demands an example and refers to what happens in parliament today as dozens of Labour MPs standing up in parliament saying that they didn’t like the law that prevents men having access to women’s changing rooms.

Thank you. Jonathan Hinder is great. He doesn't dance around the issue but calls it for what it is.

It’s the first time I’ve seen him but he was really good across the discussion on the impact of Mandelson. He is direct and it’s so refreshing and practical.

Thank you for this clip.

House of Lords on FWS in debate yesterday interesting contrast. Lib Dem peer leading the pro women side:
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2026-06-01/debates/7BAE213A-9D03-41A3-BF3D-1C762FD4BEBF/ForWomenScotlandLtdVScottishMinisters

The funny thing is - no Green MPs spoke.
One is off sick, two are hardline Muslims, but two - including the sainted Hannah - should have been available.

Carla Denyer is off sick which leaves Ellie Chowns, Sian Berry, Adrian Ramsay & of course Hannah Spencer. I wasn't aware that any of these MPs was a Muslim let alone a hardline Muslim.

Argh. Again, barely a mention of women as stakeholders in amongst the poor fragile vulnerable sad and distressed men utterly desperate to force themselves on non consenting women in a state of undress. No mention at all of women's exclusion, their needs and barriers, or the ones actually harmed. It's like women don't exist in this country.

The feeble mumble of 'we are protecting single sex spaces' (and absolutely not talking about why)

I guess I was getting mixed up with the leadership.

But in that case, it's even curiouser that no Green MP spoke!