Labour's Keir Starmer backs trans sports bans: 'Common sense has to prevail'

[Celerity]

Keir Starmer has said he supports a ban on trans women competing in women’s sports.

https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/03/12/keir-starmer-trans-athletes-ban/

Keir Starmer has backed a ban on trans women in sport (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

In recent months, a number of major sporting federations, including Badminton England, British Rowing and Swim England, have barred transgender women from competing. The Labour leader has previously remained coy on the issue, but during a visit to a school in his Holborn and St Pancras constituency on Monday (11 March), he told The Telegraph that he is “supportive” of the bans.

“The important thing is that sports governing bodies take a lead on this,” Starmer said. “And they are doing that, and we’re supportive of what they’re doing, particularly in elite sport. “That’s where the decision should be taken, and, in the end, common sense has to prevail in terms of safety and integrity of sport.”

Labour once stood firm on transgender rights but amid the increasing politicisation of trans lives the party has backtracked, U-turned and obfuscated on key issues. Last April, Starmer was accused of “throwing trans people under the bus” following an interview where he controversially said: “For 99.9 per cent of women, it is completely biological … and, of course, they haven’t got a penis”.

During the same interview, he appeared to throw his support behind outing trans youth to their parents, saying: “Of course I’d want to know. I say that as a parent. I would want to know and I think the vast majority of parents would want to know. “That’s why we have to have national guidance on it and they should try to make it cross-party, because it’s not helpful to parents or schools to have this as a toxic divide when what’s needed is practical, common-sense advice.”

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Keir Starmer could become the next prime minister, YouGov polling suggests. (Getty)