Anas Sarwar vows to make women's spaces, services and sport single sex in trans U-turn
Anas Sarwar said he will ‘get men out of women’s prisons’ despite previously supporting self-ID for trans women
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has vowed he would ban trans women from women’s “spaces, services and sports” if he becomes first minister.
In an apparent U-turn on his previous position on gender issues, Mr Sarwar said his party would prevent trans women from being accommodated in female prisons, after two of his frontbenchers held talks with campaign group For Women Scotland.
The Scottish Labour leader argued that the SNP government has “got itself into a massive mess” over single sex spaces, claiming ministers were “saying one thing in public and arguing the opposite in the courts”.
He said: “I believe in single sex spaces based on biological sex. That means spaces, services and sport. That includes ensuring that there are not male bodied individuals in a women’s prison.
“The reason why that's really important is, one, so many women that are in prison have a historic situation with violence against women and girls, which party has got them into issues in the first place.
“Secondly, so many of these male bodied individuals that are in these prisons themselves have a history of violence against women and girls. We will get men out of women’s prisons, we will respect single sex spaces based on biological sex.”
But Mr Sarwar stated that “the Equality Act is primary”, despite that legislation holding the same legal weight as human rights legislation.
It is understood that governments and public bodies could be open to legal challenge on human rights grounds if blanket bans on trans people are brought forward. Mr Sarwar dodged questions over whether he had sought legal advice before making his pledge.
He added: “I will uphold and respect the Equality Act. The guidance is a matter for the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
“I will follow any guidance issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.”
Asked if he had met campaigners who disagree with self-ID for trans people, Mr Sarwar said: “I have not directly spoken to For Women Scotland.
“I have been asking my colleagues, both Pauline McNeill who leads for us on justice and Jackie Baillie who is my deputy leader, to engage with For Woman Scotland. I am, of course, happy to speak to them too.”
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.