“For Women Scotland” Supreme Court Ruling
Debate between Bridget Phillipson and Lee Anderson(2 weeks, 5 days ago)
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Bridget Phillipson
The Equality Act does stand, and it provides clear protections in law for women and trans people. It is important that women have access to single-sex spaces such as women’s refuges and rape crisis centres, but it is also important, of course, that trans people have access to high-quality healthcare and appropriate support services—and, in addition, can see the police taking action against hate crime.
Lee Anderson (Ashfield) (Reform)
A man is a man and a woman is a woman. Anybody watching this at home will think that the lunatics have taken over the asylum, which they quite clearly have. I do not need a Supreme Court judgment or ruling to tell me that a bloke should not be in a women’s changing room. I want to ask the Minister a simple question for more clarity: can a woman have a penis?
Bridget Phillipson
I tell you what: blokes should not beat up women. Maybe the hon. Member should have a word with his colleague.
Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Bridget Phillipson and Lee Anderson(3 months, 2 weeks ago)
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Lee Anderson (Ashfield) (Reform)
The Secretary of State for Education (Bridget Phillipson)
It was a Labour Government who first enshrined freedom of expression in law, and Labour is to this day committed to freedom of speech and academic freedom. That is why we are pressing ahead with a robust, rigorous and workable Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, and taking common-sense decisions in the national interest.
Lee Anderson
Unfortunately, a minority of teachers subscribe to the sort of dog-whistle, divisive politics sometimes heard from those on the Government Benches —and from those down here on the Liberal Democrat Benches, by the way. This has put some children in Ashfield off expressing their own opinions during sensible debate in schooltime. Does the Secretary of State agree that while in the classroom, teachers should remain politically neutral?
Bridget Phillipson
I have had the privilege of visiting hundreds of schools across our country, and I can tell Members that children in the schools I visit are usually never backward in coming forward with their opinions; I would hope that is the case in the hon. Gentleman’s constituency, too. Of course, schools have a duty to promote fundamental British values and are subject to long-standing legal duties that prohibit them from promoting partisan political views.