The Labour Party has postponed its annual Women’s Conference in the wake of advice following last month’s ruling on the legal definition of a woman.
Last month, the Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex.
Up until the ruling, Labour had allowed people to self-identify as a woman, so trans women could attend the event and also take part in “positive action” measures such as all-women shortlists.
The decision has been condemned by trans rights advocates as an “attempt to isolate trans people” and by gender critical activists as “a kneejerk reaction”.
Labour Women’s Conference is traditionally held the day before the main conference and brings together hundreds of women from Labour’s activist base, including MPs, councillors, and supporters for a day of discussion and policy-making.
A leaked advice paper to Labour’s governing body, the National Executive Committee (NEC), recommended delaying the conference because the “only legally defensible alternative” would be to restrict attendance to biological women.
The paper set out how “there is a significant risk of legal challenge to the event as it currently operates” and “there may be protests, direct action and heightened security risks” if it goes ahead on 27 September.
That could carry a “political risk” of overshadowing the party’s showcase autumn conference which begins the following day on 28 September.
On Tuesday night, the party’s NEC voted to delay the conference, pending a wider review of positive action measures.
The NEC also decided to postpone the elections to the National Labour Women’s Committee, which are normally held at the conference, and to extend the terms of those currently serving.
Labour moved away from using all-women shortlists at the last general election. The leaked paper also advised the party to issue guidance to make clear that all-women shortlists can only apply to “applicants who were biologically female at birth”.
A Labour Party spokesperson said the party must make sure all its procedures “comply with the Supreme Court’s clear ruling”.
“Labour is clear that everyone in our society deserves to be treated with dignity and respect,” he said.
“The party will work closely with individuals and local parties to implement the necessary changes with sensitivity and care.”
Ministers will consider the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s code of practice, which it has just put out for consultation.
The decision was condemned by Georgia Meadows, who was speaking as LGBT+ Labour’s trans officer.
“It is a blatant attack on trans rights and is seemingly an attempt to isolate trans people even further within the Labour Party and the Labour movement more widely,” they said.
The Labour Women’s Declaration group, which backs “sex-based rights”, said cancelling the conference would be a “knee-jerk reaction”.
A spokesperson told the LabourList website: “We are shocked that hundreds of women in the Labour Party might be prevented from meeting at conference because the NEC would prefer to disadvantage all women rather than to exclude the very small number of trans-identified men who may wish to attend the women’s conference.”
