Former Conservative MP Kwasi Kwarteng and ex-Labour MP Lloyd Russell Moyle have clashed over the UK Supreme Court's landmark ruling that transgender women are not legally women under the Equality Act.
The heated exchange centred on the practical implications of the court's decision that "woman" and "sex" refer to biological characteristics.
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that transgender women are not legally recognised as women under the Equality Act, even those with Gender Recognition Certificates.
Speaking on the issue, Russell-Moyle criticised the lack of clarity for employers, saying: "They have not answered those questions, for example, about how an employer would enforce this.
Kwasi Kwarteng and Lloyd Russell Moyle have clashed over the UK Supreme Court's landmark ruling t
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"What they did say is that it’s illegal for an employer to ask if someone has a Gender Recognition Certificate. It’s illegal for an employer to discriminate against trans people.
"So you’re in a situation where the actual core issue here which is relevant to a very tiny minority, let’s be honest a tiny minority of trans people or people who don’t conform."
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In response, Kwarteng firmly disagreed, pointing to growing public concern around fairness and safety: "I completely disagree.
"What people just couldn’t get their heads around is the idea that transgender women , who were born men, were allowed to compete in women’s sports.
"This is a devastating offence. Even the FAA said that men were stronger and heavier.”
Russell-Moyle argued: "This ruling does not overturn that person.”
Kwarteng countered: “But it draws a clear line. It draws a clear line between biological male and female.
"That means we won’t have this absurd situation where — I mean, Nicola Sturgeon was saying — the man who was then a woman was allowed into a women’s prison. He was a rapist.
"That was a clear issue where we needed to clarify the situation. The Supreme Court has clarified the situation.
"I would say it’s punctured the balloon of all this sort of radical transgender ideology.”
The pair entered into a heated debate
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Following the court's decision, the Scottish Government reiterated its support for the "protection of single-sex spaces based on biological sex."
The Government stated the ruling brings "clarity and confidence for women and service providers such as hospitals, refuges, and sports clubs."
A Government statement emphasised: "Single-sex spaces are protected in law and will always be protected by this government."
During a November hearing, lawyers for the Scottish Government had argued that a person holding a Gender Recognition Certificate is "recognised in law" as having changed sex.
