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Labour Postpones Women’s Conference Following Supreme Court Ruling on Biological Sex

The NEC votes to delay the event, shift positive action policies to birth-sex criteria, and consider banning transgender women from all-women shortlists.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM APRIL 19, 2025: Transgender people and their supporters stage a protest march in Westminster in support of trans rights following this week's UK Supreme Court unanimous ruling that the terms woman and sex in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex, in London, United Kingdom on April 19, 2025. The demonstrators argue that this ruling could result in roll back of the rights and safety of trans people as public bodies and employers update their codes of practice. (Photo credit should read Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Campaigners from For Women Scotland welcomed the Supreme Court ruling
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Overview

  • Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has voted to postpone the National Women’s Conference, previously scheduled for September, citing legal risks and potential protests following the Supreme Court ruling on biological sex.
  • The NEC has decided that all positive action measures, including all-women shortlists, will now be interpreted based on biological sex at birth rather than self-identification.
  • The party is expected to vote on banning transgender women from all-women shortlists, a move criticized by trans rights groups as exclusionary and discriminatory.
  • The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has launched a six-week consultation to provide updated guidance for implementing the Supreme Court’s ruling, which Labour has pledged to follow.
  • Reactions within and outside the party remain divided, with trans rights groups condemning the changes and gender-critical organizations supporting the adherence to biological definitions.