- Labour’s equalities committee announced plans for ‘all women shortlists and women’s reserved places open to self-defining women’
- Around 200 members plan to quit if Labour’s NEC makes it an official policy
- MayDay 4 Women has drawn up a resignation statement if policy is made official
Hundreds of women Labour members are planning to quit the party if its ruling body confirms that men who believe they are female can stand on all-women shortlists for parliamentary candidates.
The threat comes after Labour’s equality committee announced last week that ‘all-women shortlists and women’s reserved places are open to self-defining women’.
About 200 women members now plan to quit if Labour’s National Executive Committee make it an official policy.
A campaign group, known as MayDay 4 Women, has drawn up a resignation statement, which 100 Labour women members have put their names to and a further 100 have signed anonymously.
‘Not listened to’: Activist Venice Allan
The letter, which will be sent to the NEC if it publicly backs the opening up of the shortlists, states: ‘Self-definition – “I am what I say I am” – absolutely reeks of male supremacy. We cannot continue to be in a party that takes women for granted.’
Venice Allan is a signatory. In January this year she was suspended from Labour amid transphobia accusations after posting comments online such as ‘transwomen are men’.
Last night Ms Allan said: ‘I’ve been a Corbyn supporter from the beginning, but women in the Labour Party are just at the end of their tether about this. We’re not being listened to and as a result Labour is losing its female members.’
The row is evidence of a growing split within the Labour Party over transgender women – who were born male – being permitted to take on positions reserved for women.
Last night Ms Allan said: ‘I’ve been a Corbyn supporter from the beginning, but women in the Labour Party are just at the end of their tether about this.’ Pictured: Corbyn at the Scottish Labour Party conference in Dundee