Tories ignite culture war with Labour over ‘shutting women up’

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A cabinet minister has accused Labour of spending a decade trying to “shut women up”, as the Conservatives reignited a political culture war over transgender issues. Her comments came after the shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said his former employer Stonewall had been wrong to argue that “trans women are women, get over it”. open image in gallery JK Rowling has told former stars of the Harry Potter films to ‘save their apologies’ Earlier this week, Mr Streeting told The Sun: “To the extent that – and I say this with some self-criticism and reflection – if you’d asked me a few years ago, on this topic, I would have said trans men are men, trans women are women. Ms Watson appeared to make a dig at Rowling at the Baftas in 2022, and in 2020 wrote on Twitter: “I want my trans followers to know that I and so many other people around the world see you, respect you and love you for who you are.” It comes as a new survey revealed the lowest level of happiness in a decade among young transgender people in Scotland, amid what a charity called an “unacceptable” level of intolerance.