‘Transphobia’ row: Peer quits Labour Party

Lord Lewis Moonie feels ‘free to carry on campaigning for women’

A Labour peer and former Kirkcaldy MP has quit the party amid an ongoing transphobia row.

Lord Lewis Moonie, who was MP for the Kirkcaldy constituency from 1987 to 2005, dramatically left the party on Tuesday night after having his membership suspended.

The 72-year-old was previously reprimanded after sharing controversial posts relating to transgender issues.

After learning he was to face a disciplinary hearing over his actions, he left of his own volition.

He said: “I’ve resigned from the Labour Party today.

“I was accused of transphobia by the usual suspects and told I must attend a disciplinary hearing.

“My membership suspended too. Not really up to fighting it, so I’ve saved them the trouble.

“I feel free to carry on campaigning for women.”

Dr Moonie, Lord Moonie of Bennochy, was a psychiatrist and community medicine specialist before entering Parliament and was made a life peer in 2005.

Describing himself as a campaigner for women’s rights, Dr Moonie said that single-sex spaces such as toilets and changing areas, protected under the Equality Act 2010, should not be open to those who “self-identify” as women.

He has argued women could be vulnerable to attack if single-sex spaces are not protected, maintaining his opinion has “nothing to do with genuine trans people”.

In one statement he said: “Transpeople have the same rights as anyone else. What they don’t have is the right to force me to believe they acquire the sex they aspire to, nor to invade single-sex spaces protected by the Equality Act 2010 unless they have undergone reassignment.”

After being challenged about a series of intersex conditions, he described them as “rare as hen’s teeth”.

The Labour Party has not yet commented on Dr Moonie’s resignation.

A spokesperson for LGBT Labour said: “This behaviour is unacceptable from any member of the Labour Party but especially from a Labour peer.

“We work day in, day out to ensure that Labour is leading on trans rights in the UK and we need to ensure that transphobia is eradicated from our party, politics and our society.”

Transgender Fife said women should have protected spaces but “transgender women are women too”.

A spokesperson for the group said there was a need for greater education and awareness of transgender issues.

Lord Lewis Moonie said he did not feel up to fighting his suspension.