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

Can someone explain - what was the purpose of this debate? Does a debate like this have to be tabled before a prayer motion is tabled? Is it commonplace to have a berate like this to measure likely success of a prayer motion?

We still don’t seem to have a prayer motion, which is the only tangible action available to address concerns arising.

https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/65938

Motion text
That the draft Code of Practice for Services, public functions and associations, a copy of which was laid before this House on 21 May, be disapproved.

Disapproving the code of conduct is not going to change the law though.

So what happens now?

I thought Rosie Duffield said Dianne Abbott understood the issues. Seems not.

Interesting that a Lib Dem MP has withdrawn his signature

F knows. Interested to see how this plays out.

Looks like Adrian Ramsay and Ellie Chowns aren't signatories. I've no idea if that is significant, or if it is just the Green Party trying to cover all its bases.

If a handful of MPs are refusing to suport compliance with the law then should they really BE in Parliament at all?

Hopefully the government will stand firm. Afterall, their excuse for sitting on the guidance for a year was that they wanted to ensure it was legally robust before laying it before parliament. So, it's a bad look if they u-turn.

The breakdown of signatories is

20 Labour (5% of all Labour MPs)
16 Liberal Democrat (22% of all LibDem MPs)
2 Green (40% of all Green MPs)
2 SNP (29% of all SNP MPs)
1 Your Party (Zarah Sultana)
1 Independent (Dianne Abbot)

Now that is interesting.

Hmm. I think MPs challenging legislation is a big part of government!

AR is reasonable. EC is not.

Who dat?

Any suggestions from any of these MPs for an alternative code that complies with the law?

Am I understanding this correctly?

The EDM signed by these MP’s is just them expressing “concerns” but it won’t trigger a debate and cant “do” anything because it’s outside the required process (which would be a prayer motion) to annul the EHRC Guidance?

And with 42 signatories so far, theyve not managed to raise the sort of support I assume they’d need to get a debate on rewriting sex in The Equality Act?

So at present it’s just virtue signalling?

Any suggestions from any of these MPs for an alternative code that complies with the law?

That's a rhetorical question isn't it?

It seems some MPs want to do away with womens rights to some female single sex spaces/services,they are going to have to change the law if thats what they want.
Female single sex spaces exclude all males ....
If you don't want to allow any female single sex spaces because you want them to include males, you will have to change the law.
The guidance simply reflects the law.

So at present it’s just virtue signalling?

It's also demonstrating that nowadays only a tiny minority of MPs are in thrall to the TRAs.

Why can't Jonathan Hinder be running for leader instead of the crap who are going to run? That was the best sofa interview Labour have done in years. Call it what it is. We need far more of him and far fewer Stella Creasy's in the party.

Andrew George. Perhaps someone has explained the law to him.

And yet, despite that, the government does not deal with the issue, but kicks the can down the road. At best.

Appalled by not surprised to see my MP strutting his stuff there. He no longer reads my communications to him. What on earth are they doing? No respect for women or our safety and privacy there. Raging all over again.

Stella Creasy does seem to have gone mad for it doesnt she?

Apparently she said she can’t challenge the EHRC Guidance (presumably has been trying hard to do so behind the scenes since last September?) and instead wants to redo the Equality Act in order to remove women’s sex based rights.

So weird after all her campaigning on abortion rights. I mean how can you tell who needs an abortion if you can’t identify the women or run a single sex service?