Politics latest: Supreme Court gender ruling should 'draw a line' under debate, says minister (2025)

Responding to the news that the union behind the Birmingham bin strike, Unite, has been unable to reach a deal, Richard Holden says it is "absolutely absurd".

The shadow paymaster general tells Sky News: "This is just symptomatic of a situation where we've got a Labour government.

"We've got a Labour secretary of state looking after it, and Angela Raynor, and we've got a Labour mayor, we've got a Labour council, and they can't even get an agreement with Labour's biggest donor, the Unite the union.

"I think it's absolutely absurd that the people of Birmingham have to put up with tens of thousands of tons of rubbish on their streets.

"I think it's a disgrace and I really think that the Labour Party should have got a grip of this.

"It's quite clear they know all of the parties involved in this. You know why? It's because they attend and get their cheques from them."

Richard Holden says he wants to see "substantial" change following yesterday's Supreme Court ruling which defined a woman under the Equality Act as a biological woman.

The shadow paymaster general adds that wants to see the Equality and Human Rights Commission change it's definition of a woman "swiftly".

"I hope quite a substantial amount will change", he tells Sky News' Anna Frost.

He says we've begun to see "the abuse of women's single-sex spaces" such as changing rooms and women's prisons - and he now hopes to see this change.

Holden adds: "I now hope that the Equality and Human Rights Commission moved swiftly to get those, definition changes, through and that guidance through so that everybody across the country can see exactly now what that means.

"It will help provide real confidence for the system. But it has to be comprehensive and it has to really reflect that, that unanimous Supreme Court ruling."

Following charity Amnesty International warning that there are potentially concerning consequences for trans people, Holden says he doesn't need to feel worried.

"I've obviously dealt with constituency cases myself", he says. "People in very difficult circumstances.

"But what I don't want to be what we've seen in the last few years is people, taking that self-identification to another level.

"And that has caused real problems and real anxiety, for women, particularly up and down the country, particularly women in very vulnerable circumstances.

"And I think that this change is exactly what is required."

He adds that further clarity is still required.

But he agrees with Labour health minister Karin Smyth, who earlier told Sky News that she hopes the ruling will not stoke a culture war, but cool debate on the issue.

Holden says: "I hope a line can be drawn under it, because it's quite clear where the Supreme Court has gone."

The Green Party has now outlined its policies on China and whether Chinese companies should be allowed to invest in the UK.

It's also called for tariffs on Chinese goods.

Why China? Why now?

A growing row has emerged about the role Chinese businesses should play in Britain, following the kerfuffle over British Steel's Scunthorpe plant.

In case you've been living under a rock for the past week: It was nearly shut down by its Chinese owners, Jingye, which would have ended the UK's ability to produce virgin steel. But the government seized control of it in an unusual parliamentary sitting on Saturday.

Since then, numerous politicians have suggested it is actually the Chinese government influencing Britain's steel production capabilities, through Jingye.

The Chinese Embassy in London said MPs are "slandering the Chinese government" and called it "extremely absurd". More on that here.

Sky News has put together a helpful guide of what each of the political parties are saying on China - which shows that Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats are unusually allied in their positions.

One party that didn't have a public stance was the Greens, but they've now got in touch with Sky News to give their two cents.

Adrian Ramsay, the co-leader of the Greens, said: "The lesson from the ownership of the Scunthorpe steel plant by a Chinese corporation is that when foreign companies invest in the UK it is often in their own interests rather than the interests of the UK and its communities."

Ramsay added that the Greens believe "that all strategically important sectors like energy, water, transport" should be publicly owned "and work for people, not for corporate profit".

He went on: "The Green Party does not favour Chinese ownership of strategic industries like nuclear energy or digital services."

The Green Party has also said the issue in Scunthorpe has shows the "need for greater resilience" and has called for a boost to "domestic production".

In a slight segway, the Greens also called for Chinese goods, such as steel, to be tarriffed.

Ramsay said: "Where these companies seek to flood their products on the UK market, often produced under conditions of weaker workers' rights and lower environmental standards, tariffs should apply.

"The EU has taken a lead in this respect through the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, a tariff on the carbon emitted during the production of goods entering the EU.

"The UK is due to follow suit in 2027."

There's one more important takeaway from the health minister's interview with Sky News this morning.

Karin Smyth tells Anna Jones that following yesterday's Supreme Court ruling, the government has asked all public bodies to "look at their own guidance" and to ensure it complies with the judgement.

Smyth says: "This judgement was about women, about women's rights as defined by sex, and clarity to service providers. And the court is very clear about that.

"It's important now that all bodies, review it carefully, don't jump to statements that may alarm people...

"Public bodies have been asked to look at their own guidance. And we will do that very, very carefully", she says.

Smyth adds that some bodies, such as the NHS are already compliant with the ruling.

She says: "It has been the policy of the NHS for many years to have same-sex wards to provide that dignity and privacy.

"There are generally individual rooms for people, smaller wards.

"But already before this ruling, the NHS was looking at how to support people who identify differently to the sex that they are born in. That's both transgender men and transgender women."

Now Karin Smyth is being asked about the government's announcement that it's expanding a scheme to cut waiting lists by allowing GPs to refer patients.

You can see more detail on this scheme here.

Smyth admits that it will lead to an "extra administrative burden" on GPs.

It is "why there is a£20 payment for that extra work that is involved in doing that", she says.

"But it really is an important part of our promise to the British public to get down those waiting lists, not by just putting more and more money in, but actually reforming the way the system works", she adds.

The health minister also says that she wants to "make sure that the people who really need a specialist get to see that specialist, but other people who can be treated more locally, more conveniently, more quickly, that can happen".

Karin Smyth says the Conservative Party needs to look at it's own policies on gender, following yesterday's Supreme Court ruling.

She tells Sky's Anna Jones: "It is very welcome that the Supreme Court has clarified that because under the Conservatives, this was allowed to run and run and run.

"It was the Conservatives that started looking at self-identification, for example, under Theresa May.

"It was a Conservative leader of the party in the House of Commons who stood at the despatch box and said 'trans women are women'."

Smyth adds it's "really unhelpful for the Conservatives".

"So I think they also need to look at themselves", she says.

Asked if yesterday's ruling will "fan the flames" of a potentially toxic culture war, Smyth says: "I really hope that it does draw a line under it by clarifying what sex means, by clarifying that people have different protected rights under the Equality Act and being very clear to all organisations what that means."

For context, Kemi Badenoch has called yesterday's ruling a "victory" and said "the era of Keir Starmer telling us women can have penises has come to an end".

Karin Smyth says Sir Keir Starmer has "changed the Labour Party" to ensure it properly reflects people's rights.

The health minister is speaking to Sky News' Anna Jones after the Supreme Court's ruling that a woman under the Equality Act is a biological woman.

Asked if the PM owes a former Labour MP Rosie Duffield an apology, Smyth says:"Rosie Duffield stood as a Labour candidate, actually, in the election, as did I, and hundreds of others.

"And under Keir Starmer's leadership, with Keir Starmer support, we received an overwhelming majority at that election.

"She subsequently has chosen to leave the Labour Party. She wasn't, you know, happy with the Labour Party. And she is an independent and we wish her good luck in her being an independent MP.

"But Keir Starmer changed the Labour Party on a number of issues and made us fit for purpose to face the electorate."

Pushed on whether this means Starmer should apologise for condemning Duffield in 2021, Smyth adds: "That is her view. That it her view and she's entitled to that view.

"Before the election, [Starmer] said that that wasn't the right thing to say [in 2021].

"They cleared that up in terms of getting those definitions, and that's why our manifesto was very clear. He changed the Labour Party through our policies."

An £80m scheme designed to cut down on NHS waiting lists by making it easier to refer patients to other services is being expanded.

The government has announced the existing 'Advice and Guidance' project will be extended, with the hope of diverting two million patients away from hospitals by the end of 2025/26.

It will allow neighbourhood doctors to refer people for blood tests, physiotherapy, dieticians and other treatments after seeking guidance from specialists.

From this month, GP practices will be able to claim government cash for every request raised through the scheme.

The government says this should replace "patchy provision" and a "postcode lottery for patients". It says expanding the scheme should standardise care across the country and ensure it is being used consistently.

If this all sounds a little familiar, that's because it is. This is an existing scheme and the money isn't new.

Many politicians have been sharing their thoughts on the ruling by the Supreme Court which has defined a woman under the Equality Act as a biological woman.

Among those who have commented is former Labour shadow chancellor and independent MP, John McDonnell.

He said: "The fact the court failed to hear the voice of a single trans person may help explain why today’s decision lacked humanity and fairness and instead replaced them with a narrow definition of the Equality Act.

"There has to be a better and empathetic way forward that respects trans rights."

Meanwhile, Anas Sarwar, the leader of Scottish Labour has got himself in hot water over on X (formerly Twitter).

He posted that he's "always called for the protection of single-sex spaces on the basis of biological sex", and echoed the UK government's line that it "gives clarity" to women and service users.

But a community note has been added to his post, which points out that he "whipped his MPSs in the Labour Party to vote for the SNP's GRR [Gender Recognition Reform] bill".

It adds: "He was not for women to have single-sex spaces."

For context, the GRR was a law passed by the Scottish government making it easier for people to legally change their gender.

But the UK government used a rarely-touched power to block it from receiving royal assent and therefore coming into effect, in 2023. At the time, ministers said the Scottish law would adversely affect the UK-wide Equality Act.

Meanwhile, Kemi Badenoch has come out firmly backing the ruling for the Conservatives and called it a "victory".

She told Sky News: "Women are women and men are men: you cannot change your biological sex.

“The era of Keir Starmer telling us women can have penises has come to an end". You can read more on her comments here.

Rosie Duffield, an independent MP, has said the prime minister should apologise to her for condemning her definition of what constitutes a woman.

Duffield said in 2021 that only women have a cervix, which led Sir Keir Starmer to condemn the then Labour MP.

The PM's stance has since softened and in May 2024, he acknowledged that "biologically, of course, she is right".

But Duffield feels vindicated by yesterday's ruling by the Supreme Court that a woman, as defined by the Equality Act, is a biological woman. You can read more on that here.

Duffield has consistently expressed opposition to transgender women being able to access single-sex spaces and suggested Sir Keir Starmer had a "problem with women".

So, unsurprisingly, she reacted with joy to the ruling.

Speaking to Sky News last night, Duffield said "gender critical" Labour MPs should now "feel braver about speaking out"

She said: "People can still do what they want to, but they're going to have to face up to the fact that women are going to take them to court, potentially, and we're going to win because of the law... we always do actually, in all these cases.

"But the law has just been absolutely made clear that we have the right to challenge those things."

Asked whether she thinks the Supreme Court's ruling will lead to a change in the way the Labour Party approaches the issue, Duffield says: "I'd like to think so.

"Certainly women like me and all of the gender critical, so-called, feminists who've been very silent, very quiet in Labour and haven't supported me - perhaps they'll feel braver now about speaking out."

For their part, the government said following the ruling that it "gives clarity to women and service providers" and that "single-sex spaces are protected in the law and they will remain protected".