LABOUR has spent the last decade “trying to shut women up” in the trans debate, the Health Secretary blasted today.
Victoria Atkins demanded her opposite number Wes Streeting apologise for his previous hardline views on gender.
She hit out after Mr Streeting admitted to The Sun that had been wrong to dismiss people who do not believe all trans women are women.
Going on the attack, Ms Atkins said: “Labour has spent the last 10 years trying to shut women up when it comes to this.
“They have been part of the ideology, the culture wars, creating an atmosphere of intimidation for anyone who has dared to question this ideology.”
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She added: “Wes Streeting said we should just get over it. Where’s the explanation or apology?”
It comes after the landmark Cass Review found too many gender-questioning kids were being given controversial medication despite a lack of evidence they helped.
The report also warned the “toxicity” surrounding trans issues had cowed many critics including medics into silence.
Speaking to The Sun's politics show Never Mind the Ballots, Mr Streeting yesterday admitted the controversial LGBTQ-rights group Stonewall - where he once worked - had got it wrong.
Asked if he stood by the organisations’ claim that “trans women are women, get over it”, he admitted “no”.
He added: “To the extent that - and I say this with some self criticism and reflection - if you'd asked me a few years ago, on this topic, I would have said trans men are men, trans women are women. Some people are trans, get over it. Let's move on. This is all blown out of proportion.
“And now I sort of sit and reflect and think actually, there are lots of complexities.”
He went on: “I take the criticism on the chin. And at the same time, I also think that there's been some absolutely ugly rhetoric directed towards trans people who are at the wrong end of all of statistics on hate crime, on self harm, suicide, mental health.”
This morning Labour frontbencher Louise Haigh admitted that people in the party had "felt unable to express their views".
Dr Cass’s review found “the rationale was unclear” for prescribing controversial puberty blockers.
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The leading paediatrician also said doctors should exercise extreme caution when giving children hormones of the opposite sex to help with their desire to transition.
Dr Cass was commissioned by ministers in 2020 to look into how the NHS should deal with the rapid rise in gender-questioning children
