Lib Dem conference big vote on supporting women's rights tomorrow

[fromorbit]

Vote tomorrow at the conference with major implications

Lib Dem conference ‘descends into culture wars’ with trans vote
Party wrong to debate pro-trans proposals that will ‘be weaponised against us’, say campaigners

Published 20 September 2026 6:45pm BST
The Liberal Democrats have been accused of “taking a sledgehammer to women’s rights” by debating proposals for more “inclusive” rules on single-sex spaces.
The party will vote on Monday on a proposal to scrap new guidance banning transgender women, who are born male, from female toilets and changing rooms at its annual conference.
The plans are set out in an emergency motion selected by Lib Dem members, which will also force the party to take a firm stance on whether “trans women are women”.
Liberal Voice for Women, a Lib Dem group campaigning for sex-based rights, warned the policy would be pushed through by a conference “stacked with activists” and force the party “back into the culture wars”.
The backlash threatens to embroil the Lib Dem conference in a transgender row for a second year running, despite Sir Ed Davey insisting on Saturday that he led “the most united party in British politics”.
https://archive.is/s25Xm

Do the LibDems realise that this is one reason why they are losing members? It's why I resigned my membership.

There's lots of reasons they are losing members...

Another established party going down the tubes at a rapid pace, 'trans' destroys everything.

She said it was “irresponsible” even to debate the proposals,

I disagree, there is no need to mimic the 'no debate' tactics of Trans Rights activists, this debate should be welcomed where ever it appears.

Completely agree with you, though obviously it shouldn't be necessary for a political party to debate it and it's disappointing they are giving it air time.

Ed Davey is being interviewed by Justin Webb on the Today programme, essentially:

the EHRC guidance isn't fit for purpose and I support the conference motion and will be voting for it.

He swerved attempts to get him to comment on the law but gave the impression that he'd changed it if fell within his power.

Just heard Ed Davey on Today, saying he would support the motion.

I used to donate to the Lib Dems. Never again.

Nauticant and onions, I heard that too. Davey is clearly very happy to sacrifice women’s rights, I will never vote for them again. I agree that the debate should happen, but I’m guessing, on this occasion, nobody will be allowed to make an argument against the motion

Argh FFS Ed Davey, you craven fool.

Supporting the motion will not save your job, nor will it bring you voters back from the greens.

Lib Dems used to be the sensible voice in the centre, now they are chasing the populist left. I resigned my membership long ago and I won't be returning any time soon.

The LibDems down our way are very captured and a significant number seem to have trans children.

They are also very tax and spend and don't seem to understand the need for a thriving local economy. (Eg they raised car parking fees and were surprised that not only did local businesses struggle, but that people decided to order on line or go to nearby towns, so they actually lost money.)

He also said it's the law "until it's changed" 😦 So, this is clearly what the Lib Dems want to happen.
And he said he recognises the Supreme Court judgement, but the motion is against the EHRC guidance, which isn't helpful (even though it simply reflects the law).

The Lib Dems worry me the most when it comes to gender ideology. I think the Greens will implode at some point , but I can foresee the Lib Dems possibly entering another coalition government in the future.

Me too, and I tell my local party at every opportunity, to no avail. They are completely captured.

There was a senior Lib Dem on Any Questions at the weekend. Ben Maguire, Shadow Attorney General. According to him, skepticism of uncontrolled migration is akin to racism, Brexit is behind all the bad things except where it's the fault of billionaires, implementing some of the Lib Dem pet causes, ie taxing things Lib Dems don't approve of, will liberate vast amounts of money to support others of our their causes. He seemed relaxed about employing mild disinformation. He sounded more like one of the Green MPs than a Lib Dem.

It's the Lib Dem's, they've been transed up to the eyeballs for bloody years! Never forget Paul Burstow former Lib Dem minister for health was chair of the Tavistock when it was cosying up to susie Green and letting GIDS run wild

they'd fuck off the protections for women in the equality act in a heartbeat because many of them seem too stupid to understand you can't protect women as a sex class if the definition includes "oh and some men like my mate Helen belcher"

Do you know what the real issue is? Transwomen are the gateway for actual men to abuse women.

No one cares about genuine transwomen using female spaces. The issue is that you can't challenge men who want to abuse policy to abuse women, if you concede women's spaces and rights to transwomen.

It's sad trans people can't have everything they want - but that's because women (and transwomen) do need protecting from some abusive men. They need to be our allies and get more vocal about putting this issue to bed once and for all.

Watched an obvious transwoman rush into the women's toilets the other day and no one said or did anything about it. But everyone needs to be brave about challenging this because it proves transwomen are not our allies when they do it.

This is why I couldn’t bring myself to vote Lib Dem at the last election and voted Labour. I should have voted tactically as it’s always between the Tories and Lib Dems here. But the Lib Dems’ lack of respect for woman’s rights is something I can’t get past.

Yes FWR have been pointing that out for years

That's why we keep all men out

Left many years ago - I wish LibDem Women the best of luck - I am sure the atmosphere will be toxic.

Just listened to Davey on Today. What an idiot.

Can you explain what a genuine transwoman is please? I've never seen a satisfactory answer.

Maybe if they get a large donation from a company/billionaire who's against medically mutilating and sterilising children the party will change their tune.

As I guess you are hinting, it would need to be more than Ferring Pharma are willing to offer. But £x00,000’s somehow seems quaintly small these days….

Admittedly i do have a different perspective to those in the party, it must be hard for lib dem women's right activists but I just want to see all the parties tell us who they are and open debate is the best forum

Ed Davey needs to be careful when appeasing the activists. The 2025 YouGov survey shows a significant split among LibDem voters (2024 GE) on whether trans-identified males should be given access to women's single-sex spaces:

Do you think a transgender woman who has not had gender reassignment surgery should or should not be allowed to...

Use women's changing rooms?
Should be allowed 33
Should NOT be allowed 48
Don't know 20

Use women's toilets?
Should be allowed 39
Should NOT be allowed 42
Don't know 19

Do you believe that allowing transgender women to use spaces reserved for women, such as women's toilets or changing rooms, does or does not present a genuine risk of harm to women?

Does NOT present a genuine risk of harm 37
Does present a genuine risk of harm 39
Don't know 24

I imagine that Ed Davey is gambling that the need to stick it to the Greens is greater than the risk of alienating the large numbers of potential LD voters who have reservations about the holy mantra TW are W.

https://ygo-assets-websites-editorial-emea.yougov.net/documents/YouGov_-_Transgender_study_2024.pdf