Mick Hartley

The state of the Labour Party:

A Labour MP has criticised male colleagues after she was heckled in the Commons for welcoming the government’s decision to block Scotland’s new gender law.

Rosie Duffield, who is a prominent campaigner for women’s rights, was shouted down and accused of talking “rubbish” as she gave the government her support.

She said that the new law “clearly conflicts with the Equality Act” and would have repercussions for women across the UK.

“Does the secretary of state recognise the strength of feeling amongst women, women’s rights groups and activists in Scotland, that this bill seeks to allow anyone at all to legally self-identify as either sex and therefore enter all spaces, including those necessarily segregated by sex such as domestic violence settings, changing rooms and prisons?”

Alister Jack, the Scotland secretary, responded: “I think the honourable lady deserves a lot of respect for her courage and standing up on this issue.”

Duffield said on Twitter afterwards: “Being shouted down in the chamber by Labour men who clearly don’t want women to speak up for our rights to single-sex spaces. How very progressive.”