According to The Express, a gender row has erupted at the Liberal Democrat conference concerning a women’s group promoting single-sex spaces.
Liberal Voice for Women was blocked from last year’s gathering. However, this year it was given a stand in Brighton after the party received legal advice.
Nonetheless, Lib Dem President Mark Pack argued some people would feel “unhappy and unsafe” at the conference because of the decision.
The group’s presence sparked protests outside the conference centre and from other stalls inside.
Reflecting on the controversy, Liberal Voice for Women chairwoman Dr Zoe Hollowood said: “After allowing Liberal Voice for Women a stall this year at conference, senior Lib Dems could have made the positive, liberal case for platforming women advocating for single-sex spaces.
“Instead, the President, Mark Pack, told conference we were unwelcome saying, ‘alas, the law is not as we would wish’.
“He also implied our protected beliefs, worthy of respect in a democratic society, were out with Lib Dem values.
“He told conference goers he ‘regrets’ the decision to allow us a stall and finds equality law ‘frustrating’. This is despite the fact the Lib Dems signed up to the Equality Act in their recent manifesto.
“The Lib Dems should be a natural home for those who recognise the importance of freedom of expression and belief. It would seem on this particular issue though some senior members are ‘liberal in name only’.”
Fiona McAnena, director of campaigns at gender-critical group Sex Matters, added: “Time and time again, when women raise concerns about their rights, politicians come back with ‘trans rights’, meaning that the views and voices of women are ignored.
“Here’s the President of the Liberal Democrat party, Mark Pack, making it all about his strong support for ‘trans rights’ when talking about a group focused on the rights of women.
“Party groups like Liberal Voice for Women have been sidelined from conferences for a number of years, and the ludicrous suggestion from Pack that delegates might feel ‘unsafe’ just exacerbates the hostility these women face when participating in the political environment.”
Mr Pack told party members yesterday: “We are required by law to be consistent in how we handle views that are protected under equality law.
“I personally find it very frustrating the law does not give us greater scope to make political judgements over what we want to happen at our events.
“We could choose to ban any stand at our conference that disagrees with party policy, but that would require us to ban the Young Liberals, for example. We really wouldn’t want to have to go down that route.
Worth reading in full.
This is not the first time the conflict between the rights of women and transgender people has caused problems for the Lib Dems.
In July, the party admitted discriminating against a mother who was barred from standing as an MP after wearing a T-shirt reading: “Woman: Adult, Human, Female.”
Natalie Bird says she was suspended from the party after being “harrassed” and “smeared” by activists because she fought for women’s rights and expressed her opinion that a person can’t change sex.
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