Labour Minister Says Tories Should Apologise For Past Pro-Trans Women Stance

Karin Smyth, health and social care ministerA Labour minister claimed the Conservatives need to apologise for allowing questions around gender to “run and run and run” while they were in government.The Supreme Court decided on Wednesday that a woman is defined by biology not gender, sparking jubiliation among sex-critical campaigners and significant fear within the trans community.The government said the ruling “brings clarity and confidence” while the Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called the ruling a “victory”.She said: “The era of Keir Starmer telling us women can have penises has come to an end.”Health and social care minister Karin Smyth then appeared to hit back on BBC Breakfast, by claiming the Tories need to apologise for their response to gender issues.She said: “I think the people that owe the country an apology are the Tory government who were in power for 14 years, who allowed this issue to drift.“They were the people who started off, for example, the self-identification policies, I was in parliament when one of their leaders stood at the despatch box saying that trans women are women.”Smyth told Sky News it’s “really unhelpful for the Conservatives,” adding: “So I think they also need to look at themselves”.The Tories do now oppose self-identification, but only adopted this stance in 2020.Former PM and Tory leader Theresa May backed “de-medicalising” the process, but Boris Johnson scrapped the plans completely when he was in office, and Rishi Sunak blocked the Scottish government’s attempts to pass a bill to introduce self-ID.Smyth also told the show that the government are “not interested in so-called culture wars”.“We believe that everyone should have their dignity and privacy and right to be respected. We are proud as a Labour government of the gender recognition act we introduced, the equality act protecting people’s rights.“Now is the time to make sure we look to the future and that rights are very clear for people.”Labour minister Karin Smyth says the Tories owe the country an apology & cites a Tory PM saying trans women are women. pic.twitter.com/Tirr7hAYrd— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) April 17, 2025Related...5 Judges Just Decided How To Define A Woman – And Have 'Set Trans Rights Back 20 Years'Trans Visibility Doesn't Feel Safe This Year – That's Why We Need More People To Step UpThe White Lotus Star Carrie Coon Says Trans Storyline Was Cut Because Of Trump

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