Truss accuses Labour of blocking trans reform Bill

Ex-PM says opposition filibustered to stop debate on puberty blockers and single-sex spaces

LIZ TRUSS and Kemi Badenoch last night accused Labour of using arcane parliamentary procedure to block a debate on transgender reforms.

The former prime minister had tabled a private member’s Bill, which would have banned puberty blockers, protected single-sex spaces and prevented teachers from helping a child change gender. Labour MPs talked so long about a Bill being debated in the morning that there was no time left to debate Ms Truss’s.

Parliamentary rules mean there is now very little chance there will now be enough Parliamentary time to debate her Health and Equality Acts (Amendment) Bill.

The Telegraph understands that Ms Badenoch, the equalities minister, had wanted to back large sections of the Bill but was prevented from doing so by Cabinet colleagues.

One minister actively opposed the move, while Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and Victoria Atkins, the Health Secretary, also did not give it their support.

As Ms Truss’s Bill was third on the list, it ran out of time because MPs spend so long talking about the first one.

Ms Truss placed the blame firmly on the Opposition, saying: “I’m furious that Labour MPs have filibustered in Parliament today to prevent debate of my private member’s Bill. Concerned parents will want to know why Labour don’t even want to discuss how to protect children and single sex spaces, let alone put those protections into law.

“Labour cares more about ideology than the protection of children. It is vital that we legislate to safeguard single-sex spaces and prevent children from making irreversible decisions about their bodies.

She added: “I encourage the public to write to their MPs to back the Bill so that we can build up pressure to get these much-needed proposals put onto the statute book.”

The Bill would have barred transwomen from female-only spaces such as changing rooms and toilets, and prevented them from competing in women’s sport. It would have stopped all puberty-blocking drugs from being prescribed – on the NHS or privately.

‘Concerned parents will want to know why Labour don’t even want to discuss how to protect children’

Ms Badenoch tweeted: “Just now Labour MPs prevented debate on a new law to prevent children and single sex spaces. Instead they used parliamentary time to discuss ferret name choices.

“Keir Starmer is terrified of debate on safeguarding and his MPs actively work to ignore the concerns of constituents.”

Fiona McAnena, the director of campaigns at Sex Matters, said: “It is very disappointing that MPs did not get the opportunity to debate this Bill today.

“Parliament must now legislate urgently to prevent private clinics continuing to expose children to harmful ‘treatment’ that the NHS has found is not supported by evidence.”