Starmer: 16-year-olds too young to change gender
SIR Keir Starmer finally weighed in on the row over Nicola Sturgeon’s controversial ‘self-ID’ Bill yesterday, saying 16-year-olds are too young to legally change their gender.
After weeks of silence, the Labour leader admitted his ‘concerns’ over the legislation – but refused to say whether he would seek to block it.
Ministers have until the end of Wednesday to decide whether to intervene to stop the SNP Bill – which allows trans people to selfidentify without a medical diagnosis – becoming law.
It also lowers the age Scots can legally change their gender from 18 to 16, and slashes the timescale for obtaining a gender recognition certificate from two years to three months for over 18s.
Yesterday, Sir Keir said he did not think that at 16, someone was old enough to change gender.
He told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: ‘I have concerns about the provision in Scotland, in particular the age reduction to 16 and in particular the rejection of our amendment in relation to the equality Act.
‘But across the whole of the area, I think we should modernise the law. I think we need a respectful debate that recognises the different arguments being made.’
Asked whether someone was old enough to change gender at 16, he said: ‘No, I don’t think you are.’
He refused to say whether Labour would block the Scottish Bill if he was prime minister, but instead pledged to ‘modernise the legislation to take out the indignities’. Rishi Sunak is reportedly poised to prevent the legislation gaining royal assent, though Government sources insisted yesterday that no decision has been made.
The Prime Minister and Scotland Secretary Alister Jack would have to invoke Section 35 of the Scotland Act to stop the Bill. It would be the first time the order has been used since devolution.
A Government source said Mr Sunak remained concerned about the impact of the Bill on women’s safety and the implications for the 2010 equality Act, which covers England, Scotland and Wales. Transport Secretary Mark harper said yesterday that ministers are awaiting ‘detailed analysis’ of how Scotland’s gender law will affect UK legislation, including the equality Act.
he told the BBC: ‘We are not proposing to make those changes for england, but what we have to do is make a decision about whether that legislation impacts... elsewhere in the UK.’ But the SNP’s Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, said it would be an ‘outrage’ if London did intervene.
‘We need a respectful debate’
MeAnWhILe, Sir Keir is tongue-tied on the question of whether he would block nicola Sturgeon’s ill- judged Gender Recognition Reform Bill.
This legislation allows anyone in Scotland over the age of 16 to change gender without medical diagnosis. A biologically male teenager could therefore have the right to attend a girls’ school and male prisoners self-identifying as female could request a transfer to a women’s jail. Before long, there will no doubt be attempts to extend such rights to the rest of Britain.
As UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak has the power to overrule this legislation. SnP leader in Westminster, Stephen Flynn, says it would be an outrage if Mr Sunak chose to intervene. Many voters, on both sides of the border, would regard it as an outrage if he didn’t. he should get on and do it.