Women’s health activist and former Labour women’s officer Steph Richards has been barred from the party’s women’s conference in Liverpool because she is a trans woman.
Richards joined the Portsmouth Labour branch in 2018, quickly becoming the local women’s officer. In that role she organised marches against violence toward women and girls, campaigned for a Women’s Health Hub, and received an Inspirational Woman of Portsmouth award in 2023. She was later selected from an all‑women shortlist to stand as a Labour candidate for the Fratton ward in the 2024 local elections.
The Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling clarified that the term “women” in the Equality Act refers to biological sex at birth, meaning a gender recognition certificate does not confer legal status as a woman for single‑sex spaces. The decision forced public bodies, including political parties, to revise their transgender‑inclusion policies.
Following legal advice, Labour cancelled its women’s conference that year and, in December 2023, the National Executive Committee voted to exclude trans women from formal proceedings at the conference, such as main‑hall speeches and policy debates.
Richards described the ban as “devastating,” noting that she holds a gender recognition certificate, has undergone surgery, and was previously welcomed as a woman by the party. She said the reversal left her feeling labeled as a man after years of feminist advocacy.
The exclusion prevents her from contributing expertise on endometriosis, pregnancy loss, and violence against women, areas in which she served as chief executive and parliamentary adviser for an endometriosis charity.
The decision prompted four major Labour‑affiliated unions—Unison, Aslef, Usdaw and the Musicians’ Union—to announce a boycott of the conference in protest of the ban.
While trans women are permitted to attend fringe events, Richards criticised these sessions as limited and not focused on core women’s issues, effectively marginalising her participation.
Richards considered funding a legal challenge but opted to concentrate on broader trans‑rights campaigning instead.
The Labour Party reaffirmed its commitment to advancing women in politics, providing networking opportunities, and complying with legal requirements.
