In a significant policy shift, UK First Minister Keir Starmer has called for an immediate ban on transgender women entering women-only spaces, urging public institutions to implement the Supreme Court’s recent ruling without delay. The April 2025 decision clarified that, under the Equality Act 2010, the terms “woman” and “transgender woman” refer to biological women, meaning that transgender women, even those with a Gender Recognition Certificate, can be excluded from women-only spaces, such as toilets, changing rooms and hospital wards, if deemed proportionate. Starmer, speaking at the NATO summit in The Hague, stressed that public bodies such as hospitals and universities must comply, saying: “We have accepted the strategy, we have welcomed it, and everything else follows from it.” This marks a change from his previous position in 2022, when he said: “Women are transgender and women are women,” a position Dowsing Street has since retreated from.

The Supreme Court ruling has sparked heated debate. Gender-critical groups such as Sex Matters have praised Starmer’s directive as a vital step in protecting women’s rights, and its chief executive, Maya Forstater, has called it an “important intervention” in addressing the lack of implementation of the policy by public bodies. On the other hand, transgender advocacy groups such as Trapsactal have expressed alarm, warning that the policy risks marginalising transgender people and undermining their vulnerability. Critics, including Labour National Executive Committee member Jess Barbard, have accused Starmer of endangering trans women by forcing them into men’s facilities, arguing that this could force them out of public spaces or expose them to violence.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) issued interim guidance in May, recommending that trans women have access to women-only facilities in public toilets. This guidance, which currently runs until July 2025, has fuelled protests, with hundreds of trans activists demonstrating in Parliament to oppose what it calls a “public toilet ban”. Activists such as Júde Gúaitamacchi of the Traпs+ Solidarity Alliance have described the policy as devastating, arguing that it undermines the dignity and safety of trans people. Meanwhile, gender-inclusive activists such as For Women Scotland have welcomed the situation, saying that allowing trans women access to female spaces poses safety risks.

Starmer’s push for swift compliance has also drawn criticism for appearing premature. Former Supreme Court judge Jonathan Sympton warned that the ruling was being misinterpreted, saying it does not require trans women to be excluded from all single-person spaces. In Scotland, where the government has resisted immediate changes to its gender policies, the ruling has prompted threats of legal action from groups such as Sex Matters, which argues that public bodies acted outside the law in implementing the decision.

The controversy highlights a broader thesis on UK equality legislation. Some argue that the directive provides clarity to protect the spaces of biological women, while others see it as a setback for the rights of transgender people. As institutions address the directive, the debate continues to polarize, with significant implications for transgender people’s access to public life.