Bridget Phillipson has been fielding education questions in the Commons this afternoon. Laura Trott asked the education secretary why there had been no action on draft guidance for schools on gender questioning children. The draft guidance would have schools ensure all single-sex spaces remain so and would prevent teachers from prompting children to socially transition…
Phillipson claimed the delay was because the draft was published just “months before” the last election:
“Whilst I recognize the important need to provide clarity for school leaders and the guidance that they do need we have to get this right, and I would just say to her that it was only a matter of months before the general election that the party opposite published draft guidance for consultation. It is right that we take stock following the full and final review for from Dr Cass which we accept and should be the basis of how we take things forward.“
This is despite the fact it came out all the way back in December 2023, with a consultation concluding on 12 March 2024. Rattled Phillipson called the question “shameless opportunism” and accused the Tories of no action during their time in government. They did put the draft guidance together…
Bridget, who just last year said trans women could use female loos, also used a bizarre new argument the Supreme Court ruled on a Labour act, so the party should be congratulated: “The ruling of the Supreme Court was that Labour’s 2010 Equality Act was the basis for their judgment that confirmed that biological sex should be for the provision of single sex services.” Quite some mental gymnastics there…
Speaking on Times Radio, former Home Secretary David Blunkett spoke about overdiagnosis of mental problems:
“Let’s distinguish those who are really severely mentally ill, diagnosed with things that require prolonged medical and diagnostic treatment. My wife and I talk about this a lot, because she’s a retired GP, about the fact that you can be sad without being ill. You can be momentarily depressed because your boyfriend or girlfriend’s just thrown you and you’re not mentally ill. You can even have mild issues, which can be dealt with with the right kind of support, but it doesn’t make you mentally ill. So we’ve got a real task, I think, to get the psychology, if you like, of this over. But there are things where you definitely need medical intervention, and there are other things where you need good friends, you need good connectivity, and you need a job.”