UK Politics

In a landmark judgement on Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled that trans women are not legally women under the Equality Act. Five judges ruled unanimously that the terms “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act refer to a biological woman and biological sex, in a decision that could have wide-ranging ramifications for trans women’s rights to use services and spaces reserved for women.It means that transgender women with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) can be excluded from single-sex spaces if “proportionate”. But what does this look like in practice? To pee or not to pee: The UK’s public toilet situation is in serious need of improvement More

Sir Sadiq Khan has urged the government to agree a youth mobility scheme with the European Union, saying it could save Britain from the “economic storm” of Donald Trump’s sweeping global tariffs. Writing in The Independent, the London mayor said such an agreement – which would allow 18- to 35-year-olds to move and work freely between countries for up to two years – is “long overdue and now needs to be considered” in order to boost growth across Britain and Europe in the face of the trade taxes. In light of Mr Trump’s tariffs, Sir Sadiq argued such a scheme is now “an economic priority, rather than a political talking point”.“Europe is by far our biggest trading partner and our most reliable political ally. At a time when our communities can ill-afford to absorb another economic shock that pushes up prices, it makes sense for us to deepen our partnership”, he added.Sadiq Khan argued a youth mobility scheme is now ‘an economic priority’ More

A ruling from the UK’s Supreme Court that says the legal definition of a woman is someone born biologically female is the latest high-profile action involving the issue of the legal recognitions given to transgender people.The spectrum of protections around the world ranges widely.In some countries, trans people have no protections at all.In others, they are afforded anti-discrimination protections and the ability to legally change their identity, among other measures.Many countries have seen crackdowns on the legal recognition of transgender people recently, including bans on trans athletes in women’s sport and on LGBTQ+ events.Here is a look at actions in some countries recently.A person with their face painted in the transgender flag colours during a Transgender Day of Visibility event in Lisbon More

Sir Keir Starmer has been warned that giving in to US demands over free speech to secure a trade deal will harm children.The concerns have been raised after sources close to the Trump administration claimed vice-president JD Vance wants the UK to repeal hate speech laws and ditch plans for a new online safety law in exchange for a trade deal that could see the UK avoid tariffs.He has previously suggested that free speech is being undermined by laws banning hateful comments, including abuse targeting LGBT+ groups or other minorities, and sees UK legislation aimed at improving online safety as an attack on US tech giants.Both the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and the think tank The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) have highlighted concerns over any retreat by Labour on either area.Matthew Sowemimo, associate head of policy for child safety online at the NSPCC, said: “The Online Safety Act offers a foundation that we believe will vastly improve children’s experiences online.US vice-president JD Vance (Mark Schiefelbein/AP) More

Trans women are not legally women under the Equality Act, the Supreme Court has ruled in a landmark judgment. Campaign group For Women Scotland (FWS) brought a series of challenges – including to the UK’s highest court – over the definition of “woman” in Scottish legislation mandating 50 per cent female representation on public boards.On Wednesday, five judges from the UK Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the terms “woman” and “sex” in the Equality Act refer to a biological woman and biological sex, in a decision that could have wide-ranging ramifications for trans women’s rights to use services and spaces reserved for women.Women’s rights activists celebrate outside the Supreme Court More

Slovakia’s parliament on Wednesday passed legislation that critics claim will be detrimental for many nongovernmental organizations.It was drafted by coalition lawmakers and approved by the government of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, who has frequently attacked NGOs.The organizers of a protest rally this month in Bratislava against the legislation claim the draft bill looked inspired by Russian law, which they said “makes it possible to liquidate the civil sector and turn into a criminal anyone who is not loyal to those in power.” The government has said the law is meant to the financing and functioning of civic groups more transparent. Lawmakers loyal to Fico made last-minute concessions removing some controversial parts of the draft, including the provision that NGOs would be considered lobbyists without giving a clear definition of what lobbying is.An analysis by Via Iuris, a nonprofit organization, said the law violates the constitution, including the right to privacy, freedom of expression and the right to freely associate, as well as European Union rules. Its aim is to “stigmatize and limit the activities of civic groups,” according to the analysis.Fico, who is a divisive figure at home and abroad, returned to power in 2003 after his leftist Smer (Direction) party won a parliamentary election on a pro-Russia and anti-American platform.His government moved to overhaul public broadcasting to give the government control of public television and radio. That, along with an amendment to the penal code to eliminate a special anti-graft prosecutor, showed that Fico was leading Slovakia down a more autocratic path, following the direction of Hungary under populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.Slovakis’s government has faced vocal protests against its pro-Russian and other policies. More

Pharmaceutical bosses and the government are racing to stop Donald Trump slapping tariffs on medicines in a move that would significantly impact Britain’s multi-billion pound industry. The US president has warned he will impose a 25 per cent levy on foreign drugs, which would devastate UK giants GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca.America is the firms’ largest market, making up 40 per cent of AstraZeneca’s revenue, worth more than £20 billion.Officials are scrambling to exempt pharmaceuticals from Donald Trump’s tariffs More