Liz Truss ‘furious’ after MPs accused of blocking trans reform bill

A controversial proposal to ban trans women from women-only spaces will not be debated after Conservative and Labor MPs were accused of blocking a bill drafted by Liz Truss.

The former prime minister said she was “angry” that Labor had blocked debate on its Private Members’ Bill, which would also ban trans women from participating in women’s sports and prevent children from trying to change gender.

However, it is understood some Conservatives were asked to extend the earlier debate in a bid to stall for time and prevent Ms Truss’ bill from being debated – a tactic known as filibustering – despite attempts by one Conservative MP to play it down these statements.

Ms Truss said in a statement that Labor “doesn’t even want to discuss how to protect children and single-sex spaces, let alone enshrine those protections in law”.

“Labour cares more about ideology than protecting children,” she claimed.

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“It is vital that we legislate to protect single-sex spaces and prevent children from making irreversible decisions about their own bodies.”

Ms Truss was backed by equalities minister Kemi Badenoch, who posted on X: “Just now Labor MPs blocked debate on new laws to protect children and single-sex spaces. Instead, They used parliamentary time to discuss the choice of a name for the ferret.

“Keir Starmer is terrified of the backstop debate and his MPs are actively working to ignore the concerns of their constituents.”

The House of Commons was due to debate the proposed legislation on Friday, but the bill was “discussed” after MPs spent five hours debating two other proposals from backbench MPs.

More Conservative MPs than Labor MPs spoke in the debate on animal welfare, although Labor MPs gave the longest speeches, including a 35-minute speech by shadow environment secretary Steve Reed.

Conservative backbencher Richard Fuller insisted members of his party were not trying to block debate on the bill and used a point of order to say only Labor was trying to debate the bill.

Tory backbencher Sally Ann Hart accused Reid of trying to “talk” about the bill, which Reid denied, saying the topic was “important”, while Tory MPs accused “Rubbish”.

After four hours of debate on the animal welfare bill, MPs then moved on to debate a public procurement bill introduced by Labor MP Sarah Champion, meaning there was no time to discuss Ms Truss’s proposal.

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Ms Truss’s bill has now been rescheduled for March 22 but will be at the bottom of the list, meaning it is unlikely to be debated.

Downing Street did not say on Friday whether it would support Ms Truss’ bill, but Ms Badenock is understood to be supportive of what it is trying to achieve.

Asked about the bill on Friday, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We welcome the views set out in the bill, not least because it is consistent with our view on the fundamental importance of biological sex and the rights that women must have. Dedicated Single-gender spaces.”