By Brian Wheeler, Politics reporter
PA MediaJK Rowling has criticised Labour for “abandoning” women over its stance on the rights of transgender individuals.
Writing in the Times, the Harry Potter writer stated she would wrestle to vote for Sir Keir Starmer, saying she had a “poor opinion” of his character.
The former Labour donor accused the social gathering beneath Sir Keir’s management of a “dismissive and often offensive” method to women’s considerations.
Labour stated it was “the social gathering of women’s equality, with a manifesto that places women entrance and centre”.
Rowling’s feedback come after Sir Keir appeared to shift his place on transgender rights in Thursday’s BBC Question Time election particular.
Last 12 months, the Labour chief stated “99.9% of women” should not have a penis and in 2021 acknowledged it was “not proper” for Labour MP Rosie Duffield to say that “solely women have a cervix”.
On Thursday evening, he stated he agreed with former Labour chief Sir Tony Blair’s place on the problem, saying “biologically, a lady is with a vagina and a person is with a penis”.
Asked about his earlier feedback on Ms Duffield, he stated the talk on the time had grow to be “very toxic, very divided, very hard line”.
In her Times article, Rowling stated: “The impression given by Starmer at Thursday’s debate was that there had been one thing unkind, one thing poisonous, one thing arduous line in Rosie’s phrases, although nearly equivalent phrases had sounded completely affordable when spoken by Tony Blair.”
She added: “For left-leaning women like us this is not, and by no means has been, about trans individuals having fun with the rights of each different citizen and being free to current and determine nonetheless they need.
“This is about the proper of women and ladies to say their boundaries. It’s about freedom of speech and observable fact.”
The writer donated £1m to Labour in 2008 however lately has been crucial of the social gathering’s place on gender.
“As lengthy as Labour stays dismissive and sometimes offensive in direction of women combating to retain the rights their foremothers thought had been received forever, I’ll wrestle to help them,” she wrote within the Times.
Reacting to her feedback, a Labour spokesperson stated: “Sex and gender are different, as Labour’s Equality Act makes clear.
“That’s why we have consistently said that we will not introduce self ID and that we will protect single sex spaces for biological women.
“Keir was right to say that the discussion around these issues can become too polarised.
“After years of division under the Conservatives, Labour will bring the country together and ensure that everyone is treated with dignity and respect.”
Under the Equality Act 2010, it’s unlawful to discriminate towards anybody as a result of of “protected traits”.
These are a set of figuring out traits which are protected by legislation and embrace age, incapacity, faith, race, intercourse and sexual orientation amongst others.
Some interpret intercourse on this context as referring strictly to organic intercourse, whereas others consider it additionally applies to individuals with a gender recognition certificates; a authorized doc that permits somebody to alter the authorized intercourse on their beginning certificates.
The Conservatives have stated they would change the act to apply to biological sex, and say single-sex areas, comparable to public bogs and hospital wards, and providers comparable to rape disaster centres should not have to be open to those that are biologically male however determine as feminine.
Labour says such a change is just not wanted because the Equality Act already protects single-sex areas for organic women however the social gathering says it will produce “clearer steerage” on the problem if it wins the overall election.
Rowling additionally accused Sir Keir Starmer of providing no help to Rosie Duffield over the threats and abuse she has obtained “some of which has originated from inside the Labour Party itself”.
Last week, Ms Duffield, who’s standing for re-election in Canterbury, said she had not attended election hustings because of “fixed trolling” and has spent £2,000 on bodyguards whereas campaigning.
Labour peer Lord Cashman was suspended from the Labour Party in Parliament by Sir Keir after calling Ms Duffield “frit or lazy” for withdrawing from the occasions, in a social media publish.
The former EastEnders actor and Labour MEP apologised “unreservedly” for the publish.
Earlier this month, an web troll who posted on-line messages threatening to kill Ms Rowling and Ms Duffield was given suspended jail sentences.
Glenn Mullen, 31, of Clyde Road, Manchester, admitted importing audio clips in Gaelic threatening to kill Ms Rowling “with an enormous hammer” and stated he was “going to see Rosie Duffield on the bar with an enormous gun”, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.
The full listing of candidates standing in Canterbury is:
Luke Buchanan-Hodgman, Social Democratic Party
Rosie Duffield, Labour
Louise Harvey-Quirke, Conservative
Bridget Porter, Reform UK
Henry Stanton, Green Party
Russ Timpson, Liberal Democrats
