Overview

• Revised statutory guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission was delivered to the women and equalities minister last month, setting out that single-sex spaces should be determined by biological sex.
• The document has not been laid before Parliament, and businesses and public bodies say they are waiting for formal guidance before updating policies as transgender campaigners register strong objections.
• Bridget Phillipson is accused by some Labour MPs and opponents of delaying publication during her deputy leadership campaign, with several MPs warning they would not back her if the guidance appears before voting closes on 23 October.
• Allies of Phillipson deny political timing and say ministers are conducting further engagement while awaiting the EHRC’s equality impact assessment.
• EHRC chair Baroness Falkner says organisations need not wait because the Supreme Court ruling already clarifies the law, while rival candidate Lucy Powell has called for MPs to scrutinize the guidance in Parliament.