…while he steps into trans rights minefield

RISHI Sunak has made the first public policy pledge of his leadership bid – promising to protect women’s rights if he becomes prime minister.

It means the former chancellor – a father of two daughters – will enter the minefield of gender identity and transgender rights, which has become an anti-woke totem for large sections of his party. Rows have broken out in particular over whether pregnant women should, for example, be called ‘pregnant people’ instead.

Last night three female MPs came out in support of Mr Sunak in the race: former Treasury minister Helen Whately, pro-Brexit Maria Caulfield and Fay Jones.

It comes as Tory strategists increasingly believe they have a chance to win the backing of female voters alienated by Labour’s vacillation on women’s rights, with leader Sir Keir Starmer struggling even to define ‘a woman’.

An ally said Mr Sunak was ‘critical of recent trends to erase women via the use of clumsy, gender neutral language’, adding that the former chancellor ‘will not support the language of sex being eroded in legislation or the public sector. He believes we must be able to call a mother a mother and talk about breastfeeding, alongside transinclusive language where needed.’

In his ‘manifesto for women’s rights’, Mr Sunak will also oppose biological males being allowed to compete against women in sport – an issue trumpeted by his former Cabinet colleague Nadine Dorries – and will call on schools to be more careful in how they teach on issues of sex and gender.

In addition, Mr Sunak will push for extra measures to ensure the safety of women, in the wake of the horrific murder of Sarah Everard last year.

The ally said: ‘Rishi was brought up in a family of strong and successful women, and under his leadership women’s rights would be better protected.

‘He wants to ensure women and girls enjoy the same freedom most males take for granted in feeling safe from assault and abuse. He also plans to increase support for women suffering from domestic abuse, with tougher measures to deal with the perpetrators.

‘He backs female-only competitions at all levels to maintain fairness and safety for women and girls, and supports sport for all so will push for opportunities for trans people to also fulfil their sporting potential.

‘Under his leadership, sex education will be sensitive and age appropriate, so we enable children to have a childhood. He also recognises that women are still shouldering a disproportionate burden of family life, so will look again at child care and make sure public services are family friendly.’

In an effort to strike a careful balance between ‘wokery’ and ‘selfexpression’, a source on the campaign added: ‘Rishi believes in people’s freedom to choose how they live and who they love, but that women’s rights must be protected as well.

‘He gets that whether it’s their safety or their identity, they feel increasingly their rights are under attack and this cannot continue.’