UK Politics

Reform UK’s candidate in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election was previously reprimanded for using her status as a magistrate to influence colleagues, it has emerged. A finding of misconduct was made against Sarah Pochin by the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) in 2018 during her time as a magistrate – a role she held for 20 years. The JCIO found Ms Pochin had used her status as a magistrate to influence the views held by her colleagues in a political context at a meeting. The watchdog also found she breached confidentiality by publicising the complaint levelled against her, saying her “behaviour fell below the standards expected of a magistrate”. Sarah Pochin and Nigel Farage in Reform UK’s campaign office in Runcorn More

A ruling from the 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 closer look at recent actions in various countries.Participants at a Transgender Day of Visibility march in Pennsylvania More

A government minister was unable to say which changing room transgender women should use after the Supreme Court ruled they are not legally women under the Equality Act. The judgement, handed down on Wednesday, means transgender women with a gender recognition certificate (GRC) can be excluded from single-sex spaces if deemed “proportionate”. But asked which changing room a transgender woman should use, Labour health minister Karin Smyth could not say. Health minister Karin Smyth told the Commons she understands the pressures facing the healthcare system (Stefan Rousseau/PA) More

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