Keir Starmer unable to define a woman AGAIN as he insists trans debate must be ‘treated with respect’
SIR Keir Starmer was once again unable to define what a woman is as he insisted the whole issue has to be “treated with respect”.
The Labour boss has been trying to clarify his views on gender since 2021 when he struggled to say whether or not a woman could have a penis.
Last year, he said that 99.9 per cent of women “haven’t got a penis” and also rowed back on plans to introduce a self-ID system for transgender people.
Reading out questions of Sun readers, Political Editor Harry Cole asked the Labour chief if he still believed men can have cervixes and women can have testicles.
Making an appearance on The Sun’s new Never Mind the Ballots politics show, Sir Keir replied: “The whole issue here has to be treated with respect, respect and dignity. And the Labour Party has fought for women’s rights all its life and will continue to do so.”
Pressed on his U-turn on gender reform, the Labour leader pointed to what happened in Scotland, before adding: “In the real world outside of politics when circumstances change, people adapt their position.”
Asked again about his position on trans women and whether they can be defined as women, Sir Keir said: “We set out our position very clearly…”
He added: “Everybody knows there is a difference between sex and gender. I absolutely understand that and respect that. We will not be going down the road of self identification.”
He went on:”As you well know the overwhelming majority of women, it’s a biological issue…
“There’s a small number of people in this country who are born into a gender they don’t identify with and they often go through pretty hellish abuse.
“I think most people would say if we can find a way to be respectful to all the women we must properly respect and we have defended their rights and advanced their rights as a party, as a movement for many, many years and we will continue to do so, then fine.
“But we won’t and I don’t think we should simply abuse ignore, make fun or mock…”
In a wide-ranging interview, Sir Keir also:
- Vowed to protect Britain’s hardest workers from tax rises
- Refused to commit to the triple pensions lock for five years
- Insisted we ‘can’t go back’ on Brexit but wants a ‘better deal’
- Refused eight times to deny he took drugs when he was younger
- Squirmed as he answered Sun readers’ quickfire questions
- Blasted Boris Johnson for ‘smearing’ him over Jimmy Savile case
- Condemned Tories’ Rwanda plan as an ‘expensive gimmick’
Sir Keir Starmer’s biggest U-turns
Sir Keir Starmer has become known as a major flip-flopper since he became leader of the Labour Party.
Here The Sun takes a look at some of his most blatant U-turns.
BREXIT
Sir Keir spent the entire 2017 parliament trying to reverse Brexit.
When he ran as Labour leader in 2020, Sir Keir did not repeat his call for a second referendum on Brexit, but he did endorse freedom of movement. After becoming leader, he said he would not cross the red line of accepting freedom of movement for EU citizens under any future negotiation of post-Brexit trading arrangements with Brussels. He has however pledged a closer trading relationship with Brussels.
NATIONALISATION
When he ran for the Labour leadership, Sir Keir vowed to bring public services, including rail, mail, energy and water, into “common ownership”.
But the pledge didn’t last long. As early as September 2021, he ruled out nationalising the six big energy companies and in July 2022, shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves ditched the commitment to nationalise more public services in one fell swoop.
The party still intends to bring train operators into public ownership but only when current franchises expire.
OUTSOURCING
One of Sir Keir’s other leadership pledges included putting an end the involvement of the private sector in the NHS. Again, it didn’t last long as it was dropped in the summer of 2022, with Sir Keir saying the party would have to continue with some level or private provision in the health service.
TUITION FEES
Sir Keir promised he would end the “national scandal” of student debt by abolishing tuition fees in 2020.
Changing his stance, he said the country found itself in a “different financial situation”.
GREEN PROSPERITY PLAN
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves vowed to invest £28 billion a year on green projects when she addressed the first in-person conference under Sir Keir back in 2021.
But in one of the most screeching U-turns, Labour announced in February it would spend just over £4.7bn a year.