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

Yep.

At this point, I think the handful of sane Libdems remaining would be better forming a new party. This one is done. And I know that there are sane ones out there; when you talk to Libdems in private, the narrative is very different than the farce that was just presented.

My LibDem MP actually believes it. I told him he'd lost my vote - after having had it for 23 years personally responsible for his transition from ward councillor to MP, me and he was 'all oh well nevermind, but I can't have women with short hair challenged about using women's toilets'

I look forward to the interviews. Unbelievable

What an absolutely idiotic thing for him to say.

This is really sad. They could easily be in a coalition after next GE. All that work by women could be threatened by these numpties.

They would drop this like a hot stone if it meant a bit of power

I was wondering how it went 🤦‍♀️

Well done Zoe, but I think you are probably too good for them. 💕🤷‍♀️

Quite possible.

Look what happened to their policy on student loans, the moment they had any influence. 🤔

But they could equally go the other way.

If they go down this route then it means they are less likely to hold even the balance of power. They will lose votes to both Labour and Tories

There'll be an awful lot of voters who are going to seriously regret their choice at the last election. I hope it's going to keep me amused for some time

Utterly depressing.

Will Sir Ed be using his new slogan ?

x.com/PolitlcsUK/status/2101378067570553201?

@highame - I am one of those voters and Ben Maguire as mentioned earlier is my MP ffs. I even wrote to him prior to voting and he didn't reply. I really had to force myself to vote at all but felt it was my duty. If I had to vote again tomorrow I think I would have to abstain 😡

<sigh>

Nice nod to LibDem history there - David Steele in 1981 told the delegates to
'Go back to your constituencies and prepare for government!'.

Many years later I saw an interview where he was reminded of that, and the interviewer rather cruelly asked 'Have you told them they can stop yet?'😁

So they voted to go back to their bedrooms and prepare for irrelevance...

I’m worried it’ll be a differentiator for a left coalition.

I dont think the Libdems have yet recovered from their brief taste of power.

Poor you. I spoil my ballot, then at least i make it to the vote. I was looking at their declining membership and the lower it gets, the more likely the nutters are all that's left

He seems to be suggesting that there might be a way to test for all this...?

Will the libdems be abandoning their support of self ID?

Two points, responding to posts which I can't find now, sorry.

The use of 'trans and GNC' - clever, eh? there's only a tiny number of trans people in the population, but lots of us are GNC. It's more likely a question of 'personal aesthetic' i.e. that's just the clothes we like to wear, than an 'identity', but hey, if it will swell the ranks...

I recently spotted the disproportionately-influential TENI Transgender Equality Network Ireland doing the same thing, and using the term 'gender minority' to sweep up as many people as they can, including people who are not trans.
For example:
Safeguarding, Supporting, and Supervising Gender Minority Students in Institutes of Higher Education.
Information, Advice, Considerations, and Reference Materials for the Inclusion and Protection of the Trans*, Non-Binary, and Gender Non-Conforming Community. [my underlining]
Guides – TENI

Apart from the numerical sleight of hand, there's also the important point that I am a GNC woman, and if I was young again <😒> and a university student, I would be included in TENI's 'community', entirely against my will.

'Trans and GNC' is another example of TRAs cynically co-opting a distinct group because it's useful to them.

The other point is re all this talk about 'Neural systems' 'brain pattern activity'
'cortical thickness' - genital inspections out, brain scans in?😁

edited for typo, but 'underlingin' has a ring to it, hasn't it?

I care. I don't want any male however they identify in women's spaces. Whether he believes he is really a woman or is just a chancer he shouldn't be there. I would be interested on your definition of a real or obvious transwoman.

'Pink brain in a blue body' is what it boils down to. He just cherry picked a few sciencey words to suggest 'trans science' is super clever.

I asked that. Needless to say no answer was forthcoming.

Has this been posted? Official Lib Dem statement

Restoring Trans Rights

Everyone deserves to live in safety and with dignity. Yet across the country, trans and gender non-conforming people face rising hostility, with recorded hate crimes increasing by 50% between 2020 and 2025.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission’s (EHRC) updated Code of Practice, which came into force on 5 August 2026, has created confusion, fear, and legal risk.

It has left trans people without access to facilities they can safely use - and some without access to facilities full stop. It has opened the door to policing women who do not look "female enough" at the door of a women's toilet. And its lack of clarity has left businesses and providers at serious risk of legal challenge.

We urgently need new, workable and inclusive guidance that protects the rights of women and trans people alike. These rights are not in competition – both are essential to a fair society.

Today, Liberal Democrat members reaffirmed our commitment to defending human rights and ensuring no one is excluded from public life. Our policy calls for:

A dedicated Parliamentary Review Committee: establish a cross-party parliamentary committee to review how the law protects trans people's rights, taking evidence from impacted communities to propose statutory amendments.

A new, workable EHRC Code of Practice: require the EHRC to issue updated statutory guidance that ensures safe, dignified access to public facilities for all, while protecting service providers from legal uncertainty.

Mandatory impact monitoring: ensure the EHRC continuously monitors the real-world impact of its guidance and revises any code proven to be discriminatory, unworkable, or harmful.

Parliamentary vote on EHRC appointments: require all future appointments of the EHRC Chair to be subject to a confirmatory vote by the Women and Equalities Committee to ensure the Chair commands cross-party confidence.

Read our new policy in full

The Liberal Democrats will continue to stand in solidarity with trans and non-binary communities, defending equal rights, personal dignity and safety for all.

www.libdems.org.uk/news/article/restoring-trans-rights