Labour Under Fire After Trans Women Barred From Voting at Women’s Conference

Labour has confirmed that transgender women will be barred from the main hall at next year’s Labour Women’s Conference and will also be denied voting rights, a decision that has already sparked significant backlash across the party. According to officials, trans women will only be allowed to attend fringe events, evening receptions, and exhibition areas. They will not be permitted to take part in policy debates, vote on motions, or attend speeches in the main conference hall. The decision is being described as an attempt to comply with the UK Supreme Court’s recent ruling on the legal definition of a woman.

The ruling, delivered in April, declared that the terms “woman” and “sex” under the Equality Act 2010 refer exclusively to biological women. This has created uncertainty for political parties and organisations trying to interpret what counts as a lawful single-sex space. Labour has said that their updated rules for next year’s women’s conference reflect this legal environment and are designed to ensure that the event complies with the law.

Reports from LabourList reveal that several alternative proposals were considered, including the complete cancellation of the conference. The party had already come under fire earlier this year for scrapping the 2024 women’s conference—a decision that frustrated both trans-inclusive advocates and gender-critical campaigners for different reasons. To avoid another wave of criticism, Labour attempted to find a compromise that would allow the conference to proceed while adhering to the court ruling. However, the new restrictions have now created an entirely new controversy.

Trans activists within the party, including those from Labour for Trans Rights, reacted with anger and disappointment. A spokesperson called the decision “terrible” and accused Labour of shutting trans women out of the party’s internal democracy. They pointed out that many trans members have spent years campaigning, knocking on doors, organizing events, and even standing as candidates—only to now be excluded from key decision-making spaces. “Trans members are being cut out of the democratic processes of the Labour Party,” the spokesperson said, arguing that the ruling was being interpreted in the harshest possible way.

Meanwhile, gender-critical groups welcomed the move but argued that it did not go far enough. A spokesperson for the Labour Women’s Declaration group said they were pleased the party was “following the law,” but insisted that trans women should also be barred from any single-sex workshops or women-focused activities at the conference. According to them, the current plan still places biological women in spaces they believe should remain strictly single-sex.

The wider political context has only intensified the debate. The Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) recently urged Equalities Minister Bridget Phillipson to accelerate publication of updated guidance on single-sex spaces. The current code has not been revised since 2011, and the EHRC warned that some organisations may already be breaking the law due to confusion about how to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling. Phillipson has said she will take the necessary time to “get it right,” though critics argue that the lack of clarity is precisely what continues to fuel division.

Labour’s decision also follows similar moves by other major organisations. The Women’s Institute recently announced it would ban trans women from joining starting April next year, citing the Supreme Court ruling as the reason. Girlguiding UK also revealed that it would prohibit trans girls from participating in its youth programs.

A Labour Party spokesperson confirmed that the next full National Women’s Conference will now take place in 2026, after what they described as a “comprehensive legal review.” The party insisted the move reflects Labour’s broader commitment to addressing the underrepresentation of women and ensuring that all conference rules comply with current law.

However, for many, the decision marks a deepening divide within the party—one that will likely continue to fuel debate as questions around gender, legal definitions, and inclusion remain unresolved.