Tag Archives: Politics

Can Keir Starmer Learn Any Lessons From Mark Carney’s Remarkable Election Victory?

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Mark Carney completed one of the greatest political comebacks of all time by leading his Liberal Party to victory in the Candian election.

They appeared to be out of the running just a few short months ago, with Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives holding a lead of more than 20 points over his rivals.

But Carney, who only took over as prime minister from his predecessor Justin Trudeau in March, oversaw a remarkable turnaround in his party’s fortunes, thanks in no small part to his strong opposition to Donald Trump.

The US president has made no secret of his desire to make Canada the 51st state of the USA, and even made them one of the first countries he imposed tariffs on as he tried to bring his neighbours to heel.

Carney made defending Canada’s independence the centrepiece of his premiership – and was handsomely rewarded by voters.

In his victory speech, the former governor of the Bank of England said: “President Trump is trying to break us so that America can own us, that will never ever happen.”

Carney’s fierce anti-Trump rhetoric is in stark contrast to his left-of-centre political ally Keir Starmer’s more cautious approach.

The prime minister has tried to walk a fine line between distancing himself from Trump in areas like trade tariffs and his attacks on Volodymyr Zelenskyy, while avoiding any outright criticism of the president.

That is because Starmer is desperate to agree a trade deal with America which he hopes will help to boost economic growth in the UK.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey believes being anti-Trump can be a vote-winner in Britain too, starting with Thursday’s local elections.

He said: “Voters in Canada have elected a Liberal government on a clear mandate to combat Trump’s dangerous populism. Across the globe, it is liberals who are taking the lead in standing up for prosperity, security and democracy in the face of Trump, Putin and the rest.

“Voters in England have the chance to send a similar message on Thursday, by electing Liberal Democrat local champions to stand up for their communities against the hate-fuelled politics of Donald Trump and his bootlicker Nigel Farage.”

Luke Tryl, UK director of the More in Common think-tank, said there were lessons for Starmer to learn from Canada, but cautioned against the election result being seen as a green light for the PM to be more openly critical of Trump.

He said: “I am always nervous about reading across from elections elsewhere and here. There are various potential lessons – the fact that Carney managed to consolidate the left around him.

“For the moment, people tend to think Starmer is getting the balance right [on Trump].

“When Trump got in I was asked if people might want a ‘Love Actually’ Hugh Grant moment. I said I don’t think so. I think the more Trump is seen to behave recklessly, and that’s certainly the case on tariffs, there may be more demand for that.

“In any event, I think the impact on our politics will be much more marginal than in Canada, because obviously they are right next door and Trump isn’t yet asking us to become the 52nd state.”

Asked if the PM will change his approach towards Trump on the back of Carney’s victory, his spokesman said: “We look forward to working with him and Canada to further the relationship we have with Canada for the British national interest. We have a very good relationship with President Trump as well.”

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Tory Frontbencher Accuses Trump And Farage Of ‘Putin Apologism’

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A Conservative frontbencher has accused both Nigel Farage and Donald Trump of “Putin apologism” over their response to the Ukraine war.

Although Vladimir Putin started the conflict by invading Ukraine in 2022, the US president has repeatedly blamed Kyiv for the ongoing battle, attacked Volodymyr Zelenskyy in public and suggested the beleaguered country will have to cede occupied land in the name of peace.

But the tide seemed to turn on Saturday when Trump, who is keen to fulfil his election promise and end the war as soon as possible, said he thought Putin might not want to end the conflict after all.

Meanwhile, Trump’s ally Farage, who has previously spoken of his admiration towards Putin, has recently started to distance himself from the Russian president.

The Reform UK even said Trump’s peace plan was rewarding Putin “too much”.

Speaking to LBC’s Lewis Goodall on Sunday, shadow levelling up and housing secretary Kevin Hollinrake accused both Farage and Trump of “Putin apologism”.

Goodall pointed out how Farage once said that Nato enlargement was a mistake and that was poking the Russian bear.

He asked the Tory MP: “Do you think that is Putin apologism?”

“I absolutely do, he’s let him completely off the hook,” Hollinrake replied.

Asked if he thought the same of Trump, the Tory frontbencher said: “Some of the things Donald Trump is doing, I agree with – some of the things, I disagree with.”

Goodall noted: “Trump’s been pretty friendly with Putin as well, he’s been way more friendly with Putin than Nigel Farage.”

The Tory replied: “Precisely, [there are] many things I disagree with – President Trump’s position on Russia is plainly flawed, wrong.

“If you think it is Ukraine’s fault that Russia invaded a peaceful democratic nation, then I really think you need to look at some of the details behind that kind of statement.”

Goodall said: “So do you think Trump is a Putin apologist as well?”

“Well of course, he has done that. Of course he’s done that. He has said that it is Ukraine’s fault that Russia invaded and Ukraine started the war,” Hollinrake said.

“That’s what he said.”

He added: “I’m worried about it.”

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Donald Trump Says Putin ‘Maybe Doesn’t Want To Stop The War’ Following Talks With Zelenskyy

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The US president hit out after holding talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy at Pope Francis’ funeral.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he believed Putin was “just tapping me along” as he tries to get a deal to end the Ukraine war.

He also hinted at imposing tougher economic sanctions on Russia unless a peace agreement is reached soon.

It comes just two days after Trump called on Putin to stop bombing Ukraine so they could “get the peace deal done”.

In his post on Saturday afternoon, the president said: “There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days.

“It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along, and has to be dealt with differently, through “Banking” or “Secondary Sanctions?” Too many people are dying!!!”

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy said he and Trump had enjoyed a “good meeting” in the Vatican – their first talks since their extraordinary Oval Office bust-up in February.

In a post on X, the Ukrainian president said: “We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered.

“Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out.

“Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results.”

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Why Local Election Night Could Be Even Worse For Labour Than The Tories

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On the face of it, the forecast did not appear to be too bad for Labour.

Lord Hayward, the Tory peer and polling expert, said his party are on course to lose 500 seats in next Thursday’s local elections.

Labour, meanwhile, could end up with roughly the same number of councillors they have now, and could even pick up a few extra.

But the headline figures do not even come close to telling the full story, and hide a worrying trend that is causing headaches in 10 Downing Street.

For a start, the Conservatives are defending around 900 council seats compared to Labour’s 250.

In the normal run of things, a bad night for the Conservatives – which May 1 will undoubtedly be – should mean a good one for Labour, with the party picking up a hefty chunk of Tory seats.

The main beneficiaries of the Tory collapse this time, however, are set to be Reform UK, who could see their number of councillors soar by around 450.

Ominously for the prime minister, many of those will be in the Midlands and the North, part of the fabled “Red Wall” of seats which were Labour for decades before switching to Boris Johnson’s Tories in 2019.

Although they reverted to Labour last July, party strategists know they are vulnerable to Reform next time around – and the local elections look set to confirm that.

What’s more, Labour could also see their 15,000 majority evaporate in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election taking place on the same day, with Reform poised to claim the seat.

But it is not just Reform who are taking support from Labour.

Polling shows that a significant chunk of those who voted for Starmer last July, and are unhappy with the government, are looking to the Lib Dems and Greens rather than throw their lot in with Nigel Farage’s right-wing party.

Lord Hayward told HuffPost UK: “Labour initially thought that their biggest threat came from Reform, and so took their eye off the ball when it comes to the Lib Dems and the Greens. They’ve finally woken up to it and are seriously concerned.

“Next Thursday could be a terrible night for Labour. They are going to get hit very hard by Reform, and are also going to do badly against the Lib Dems and Greens in Oxford and Cambridge, and possibly in the West of England mayoralty as well.”

Labour insiders describe the mayoral election for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority as “on a knife-edge” and are hoping it will provide a shaft of light on an otherwise gloomy night.

However, No.10 sources say former Tory minister Andrea Jenkyns, now in Reform, will “win easily” to become the mayor of Greater Lincolnshire.

Polling by YouGov suggests Reform are the favourites to win the mayoralty in Hull and East Yorkshire, and also confirmed Hayward’s belief that the Greens will prevail in the West of England.

One Labour source said: “Next Thursday’s going to be tough. We’ve done a lot of difficult things since last July, and it’s not unusual for a new government to get hammered in their first council elections.

“We’ll take a battering but so will the Tories.”

Policies like slashing aid spending and scrapping winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners are the main reason why many left-of-centre voters will switch to the Lib Dems and Greens.

But the Labour source said: “We don’t take our voters for granted, but we have also introduced a radical workers’ rights package and increased the minimum wage. Those are serious progressive policies which are moving the country forward.”

Keiran Pedley, director of UK politics at Ipsos, said it was not unusual for governing parties to be “attacked from left and right”.

“At last year’s general election, the Conservatives lost support to Reform UK over immigration and to Labour and Liberal Democrats over the cost of living, public services and other issues,” he pointed out. “Now in government themselves, Labour face a similar challenge.”

He said Ipsos’ data shows that around one-fifth of those who voted Labour last year now have an unfavourable view towards the party – meaning their support is now up for grabs.

“This group places immigration as the third most important issue, behind health and the cost of living, with at least some of them likely vulnerable to Reform UK,” he said.

However, Pedley also revealed that around one-third of 2024 Labour voters are now favourable towards the Lib Dems and Greens.

He said: “This suggests that if Labour do not deliver on core issues that matter to their voting coalition – as well as addressing public concern over immigration – they could be vulnerable on both their left flank and the right come the next general election, and the elections on May 1 will be a signpost to this.”

Green co-leader Carla Denyer said the government’s apparent desire to win back voters from Reform UK has presented a massive opportunity for her party.

″It’s really clear that voters want to see positive change in this country – and they’re not getting it from Labour,” she told HuffPost UK.

“On the contrary, we’ve seen a litany of failures and bad choices, whether it’s cutting benefits for disabled people or giving the go-ahead to climate-wrecking airport expansion.

“There are plenty of voters out there who feel that Labour has abandoned them in their attempts to chase Reform voters – and who can see that unlike the Labour party, the Greens are actually offering a genuine alternative to the last decade and a half of austerity and decline.”

The Lib Dem are also licking their lips at the prospect of taking votes off both the Tories and Labour next Thursday.

Party insiders agree with Lord Hayward’s analysis that the Tories could lose control of all 15 councils they currently run and which are up for election.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey’s vocal criticism of Donald Trump, as well as his campaign for people to buy British produce to counteract US tariffs, appears to be going down well with those unhappy with Starmer’s more cautious approach.

“Disappointment with Labour is growing on the doorsteps,” said one senior party source.

Downing Street’s response to next Thursday’s results will be to keep calm and carry on, with preparations already well underway for what will be announced at Labour’s annual conference in the autumn.

However, experienced party insiders can see more storm clouds gathering on the horizon.

“This time next year it will be very difficult indeed for Labour in the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly elections,” said one. “That is when we could see people lose their minds.”

Another source said the PM had no option but to focus on keeping the promises he made to the country before the election.

“The government has just got to get on and deliver – the stakes are really that high.”

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Farage Slammed Over 1 ‘Wildly Inaccurate’ Claim About Children’s Health

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Nigel Farage has been called out for claiming children in the UK are being “over-diagnosed” with “mental illness problems and other general behavioural disabilities”.

The Reform UK leader told a press conference today that the rising number of children diagnosed with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is a “massive problem”.

He said: “I think we are massively – I’m not being heartless, I’m being frank – I think we are massively over-diagnosing those with mental illness problems and those with other general behavioural disabilities. And I think we’re creating class of victims in Britain that will struggle ever to get out of it.”

The Clacton MP also claimed that it’s a “massive mistake” to let family GPs diagnose SEND children.

But his comments have sparked significant backlash, with Mel Merritt, head of policy and campaigns at the National Autistic Society, accusing the MP of perpetuating “stigma”.

Merritt said: “Nigel Farage’s comments are wildly inaccurate and show that he’s completely out of touch with what autistic children and adults have to go through to get a diagnosis or any support at all.

“For the record, absolutely no one has got an autism diagnosis through the GP – this is just incorrect, wrong, fake news.

“Children with SEND and disabled adults, including autistic people, are not victims who are being ‘over diagnosed’.

“They are people who face huge delays and long fights to get the most basic support across every aspect of their lives, including diagnosis, education, health and social care.

“Spreading misinformation only perpetuates stigma and makes life harder. We’re calling on all politicians to drop the political point scoring and stand up for their autistic and other disabled constituents.”

Similarly, Guardian columnist John Harris – who has written about his autistic son and their shared love of music – wrote on BlueSky: “Farage talking arrant and nasty shit here.

“You can’t get an autism/SEND diagnosis from a GP. People are having to wait years for one.

“This is just Trump/Kennedy stuff, with a flavour of Badenoch & the right wing UK media.”

Minesh Patel, Associate Director of Policy and Campaigns at Mind, told HuffPost UK: “The only victims in this discussion are facts – which are continuously overlooked in favour of fuelling culture wars.

“We agree that disabled people, people on benefits and those out of work are more likely to struggle with their mental health.

“And evidence shows three quarters of all mental health problems are established by the age of 24. But instead of asking what is driving this, our politicians choose to demonise those who are struggling most in our society.”

He added that “mental health does not exist in a vacuum” and pointed to the current squeeze on public finances, the pandemic, and the cost-of-living crisis.

“We will not solve the mental health crisis by stigmatising people who are already suffering,” Patel said, adding: “It is time to face the facts.”

Ahead of next week’s local elections, Lib Dem education spokesperson Munira Wilson accused Farage of “laying the groundwork to axe crucial special needs provision in councils he’s got his eye on”.

She said: “If Nigel Farage had spent any time speaking to parents in his constituency, he’d know he’s barking up the wrong tree.

“The special needs crisis needs urgent repair – not his lazy rhetoric. We need a National Body for SEND to end the special needs postcode lottery now.”

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Trump Attacks Zelenskyy Yet Again, Accusing Him Of ‘Inflammatory Statements’ Over Crimea

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Donald Trump has just accused Volodymyr Zelenskyy of making “inflammatory” statements over Crimea while the US is still pushing for a quick end to the Ukraine war.

The US has been trying to broker peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv for months, but Vladimir Putin – who started the war in February 2022 – has repeatedly dragged his heels.

Even when Trump has offered to resolve the conflict on terms favourable to the Kremlin with very few concessions, Putin has resisted.

Instead, the White House has reportedly suggested Kyiv recognise Russia’s illegal annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula Crimea to secure peace.

But the Ukrainian president has already rejected this idea, telling reporters on Tuesday: “There is nothing to talk about. This violates our Constitution. This is our territory, the territory of the people of Ukraine.”

In a lengthy post on Truth Social on Wednesday, the US president hit back.

Trump accused Zelenskyy of “boasting” that Ukraine will not legally recognise the occupation of Crimea.

He said: “This statement is very harmful to the Peace Negotiations with Russia in that Crimea was lost years ago under the auspices of President Barack Hussein Obama, and is not even a point of discussion.

“Nobody is asking Zelenskyy to recognize Crimea as Russian Territory but, if he wants Crimea, why didn’t they fight for it eleven years ago when it was handed over to Russia without a shot being fired?”

He continued: “It’s inflammatory statements like Zelenskyy’s that makes it so difficult to settle this War.

“He has nothing to boast about!

“The situation for Ukraine is dire — He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country.

“I have nothing to do with Russia, but have much to do with wanting to save, on average, five thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, who are dying for no reason whatsoever.

“The statement made by Zelenskyy today will do nothing but prolong the ‘killing field,’ and nobody wants that!

“We are very close to a Deal, but the man with “no cards to play” should now, finally, GET IT DONE. I look forward to being able to help Ukraine, and Russia, get out of this Complete and Total MESS, that would have never started if I were President!”

Before he was re-elected last year, the US president promised to resolve the conflict within 24 hours.

Now, more than three months after his January inauguration, Trump and his top team have repeatedly threatened to withdraw from the whole peace process unless they see significant process.

Trump’s secretary of state Marco Rubio also surprised western allies when he announced – at the last minute – that he would be skipping the planned peace discussions in London on Wednesday, citing scheduling issues.

The whole occasion was then downgraded from a meeting between senior ministers to officials.

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Nigel Farage Dubbed ‘A Con Artist’ For Suggesting Climate Change May Not Be Man-Made

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Nigel Farage has been dubbed “a con artist” after he suggested climate change may not be man-made.

The Reform UK leader also called for the government to ditch its net zero policies because they “make no difference whatsoever” to global warming.

Asked on Radio 4′s Today programme if he accepted climate change was at least partly man-made, Farage would only say: “It may well be.”

He added: “Let’s go with the scientists. Let’s say that the 3% to 5% of CO2 emissions in the world every year that are man-made, as opposed to natural, are having a detrimental, or at least a warming effect on the world. Let’s start from that position.”

However, he avoided the question when asked if that was his own position.

Farage also said politicians should not “commit economic hara-kiri” in order to tackle the problem.

“I think we should scrap the net zero targets, yes, absolutely. I think they’re going to make zero difference in the world,” he said.

Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay condemned Farage, and challenged him to a public debate on climate change.

He said: “Nigel Farage is a performer, a con artist. He will say or do anything. He will happily dance to a populist tune regardless of its impact.

“This morning’s performance suggested he hasn’t got the slightest grasp of even the most basic climate science. But I think it’s worse than that. He understands all too well human-made climate change, but he is willing to pretend he doesn’t and stand in the way of climate action for his party’s populist agenda.

“If he really does believe what he says, let’s see if his ridiculous rhetoric stands up to actual scrutiny – let’s see if he is prepared to take part in an hour-long TV debate about climate change and the challenge of reaching net zero?”

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Supreme Court Ruling Is Anything But Clear – And Endangers All Women’s Rights, Trans Group Warns

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A leading trans advocacy group has hit out at the “widespread confusion and fear” caused by the Supreme Court’s ruling that a woman is defined by biology.

The momentous judgement came after years of campaigning from gender-critical groups and has left the trans community in disarray.

Keir Starmer has shifted his stance on trans rights recently too. His spokesperson said on Tuesday that the PM no longer believes a trans woman is a woman – even though he said the opposite in 2022 – and said the government welcomes the judgement.

But, in a new letter to the prime minister, campaigners from TransActual challenged the government’s repeated claim that the top judges’ decision had brought “clarity” and pointed out the 14 issues the ruling has not addressed.

The letter asked: “How is ‘biological sex’ to be defined other than by certification on original birth certificates? Hormonal? Genital? Chromosomal? How will outliers in these be treated?”

The campaigners also looked at how women who are not trans will be impacted by the Court’s decision, particularly women with “gender non-conforming appearances or attributes”.

The group said: “In the course of early legal analysis, a number of huge risks have been identified for all LGBTQ+ people, as well as women with gender non-conforming appearance or attributes, which arise from this deviation from the clear original intentions and definitions in the Equality Act.”

It also asked: “What mechanisms will be available to correct ‘administrative’ mistakes such as the young girl recently reported as having M marked on her original birth certificate last autumn, or the woman who discovered a few years ago that she was legally male when she went to marry her long-term partner and father of their child?”

The campaigners then questioned single-sex issues around policing.

TransActual asked: “How will policies like that of the British Transport Police (BTP) – who announced that trans women would be strip-searched by male officers – not create a huge risk to all women?

“How will the BTP determine who is trans and who is not? What will the remedy be for those women who are not trans who end up being strip-searched by male BTP officers? What is the impact on trans people’s privacy?”

The group also looked at the issues around public places after the minister for equalities and education secretary Bridget Phillipson said people should use toilets according to their biological sex.

“How would access to single-sex spaces be policed?” the campaigners asked. “How would this be funded? What laws would be brought in to enforce this as, for example, the only laws around public toilets are around their provision, not who accesses them?”

It also asked: “If trans women should be barred from female single-sex spaces, and trans men be barred from female and male single-sex spaces, which facilities should trans men use, and how will you ensure trans women’s safety and dignity?”

This morning we wrote to the Prime Minister to express concern in respect of last week’s Supreme Court’s ruling and the confusion that has brought to all equalities law. You’ll find more info on what we said, and the letter itself, at: transactual.org.uk/blog/2025/04… #Trans #Nonbinary

— TransActual (@transactualuk.bsky.social) 2025-04-22T19:00:19.941Z

TransActual head Helen Belcher concluded the letter by writing: “We hope that these urgent questions demonstrate this ruling has brought widespread confusion and fear, not clarity, and that equalities law in the UK must be immediately returned to a sound legal footing.

“There are many other questions which also arise from the judgement which will follow as legal study is done and the practical effects continue.”

When LBC presenter Nick Ferrari asked about the British Transport Police policy that male officers would now be conducting strip-searches on trans women, policing minister Diana Johnson appeared to support it.

She said: “My understanding from the Supreme Court judgement last week is, that it would be done on the basis of biological sex…yes, that’s the law of the land. And I support the law of the land.

“I’m very pleased we’ve got that clarity from last week as to biological sex being the basis of that.”

But Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer, later hit back at the government’s response.

She told HuffPost UK: “Sadly for women, both trans and not, many of [our] rights have been eroded in recent years.

“Cuts to healthcare, a rise in misogyny and transphobia, and government neglect of public services have made us all less safe and less supported.

“I’m deeply concerned that this government’s response to the recent Supreme Court ruling will entrench these problems for trans people, while doing nothing to address the real issues facing all women – making it harder for trans people to exist in public spaces, to access support, or to get healthcare.

“I am also worried that rather than standing up against a tide of hatred and fear directed against trans people, this government is giving ground to those who would see trans people pushed out of public life.”

All of us, whether we’re trans or not, deserve dignity and respect, and the freedom to go about our daily lives without fear of abuse or harassment. Govt has urgent Qs to answer about how it will ensure those rights for trans people – sadly I didn’t get those answers yesterday.

— Carla Denyer (@carladenyer.bsky.social) 2025-04-23T09:46:20.689Z

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Bridget Phillipson Brutally Slaps Down Lee Anderson In Angry Commons Clash

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Bridget Phillipson brutally slapped down Lee Anderson as the pair clashed angrily in the House of Commons.

The Reform UK MP infuriated the education secretary during a debate on last week’s Supreme Court ruling that sex is defined by biology.

Anderson asked Phillipson: “I don’t need a Supreme Court judgment or ruling to tell me that a bloke shouldn’t be in a women’s changing rooms.

“I want to ask the secretary of state a very simple question for more clarity: can a woman have a penis?”

The minister replied: “I’ll tell you what, blokes shouldn’t beat up women. Maybe he should have a word with his colleague.”

That was a reference to another Reform UK MP, James McMurdock, who was jailed 19 years ago for repeatedly kicking his girlfriend, according to court documents.

He spent 21 days in a young offenders’ institution after admitting the attack.

The MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, who was elected last July, told Sky News last year: “Nearly 20 years ago, at 19 years of age, at the end of a night out together, we argued and I pushed her. She fell over and she was hurt. Despite being 38 now and having lived a whole life again I still feel deeply ashamed and apologetic.

“Despite us both being very drunk, I handed myself into the police immediately and admitted my fault. I was charged for what I did, not for what has been claimed, and I faced the consequences then and paid for my action in full.”

<div class="js-react-hydrator" data-component-name="Twitter" data-component-id="5377" data-component-props="{"itemType":"rich","index":13,"contentIndexByType":1,"contentListType":"embed","code":"

Lee Anderson(Reform MP): Can a woman have a penis?

Bridget Phillipson: \"I’ll tell you what, blokes shouldn’t beat up women, maybe he should have a word with his colleague.\" pic.twitter.com/Xs2W6rWRE8

— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) April 22, 2025

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Lee Anderson(Reform MP): Can a woman have a penis?

Bridget Phillipson: “I’ll tell you what, blokes shouldn’t beat up women, maybe he should have a word with his colleague.” pic.twitter.com/Xs2W6rWRE8

— Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) April 22, 2025

Phillipson had also raised the incident during an earlier exchange with Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice.

He said: “Now we have got confirmation from the Supreme Court what the definition of a woman is, could the secretary of state confirm that all public sector and private sector bodies will apply that definition with immediate effect?”

Phillipson replied: “The Equality and Human Rights Commission will set out a statutory code of practice that will provide further clarity.

“But I would just say to [Mr Tice] that I will take no lectures from his party about the importance of defending women’s rights, given that one of his own number, that sits on those benches, was convicted and went to prison for assaulting his former partner.”

Nigel Farage last year described Mr McMurdock as “good example to young tearaways” who “picked himself up from a terrible situation and made a big success”.

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