Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said he feels "pretty depressed" over JK Rowling's criticism of Labour’s stance on transgender rights.
The author has accused the party of "abandoning" women concerned about transgender rights.
Responding, Streeting said he feels "Pretty depressed, to be honest".
He added: "I have a lot of respect for JK Rowling both in terms of what she’s done for children and literacy but also the work that she’s done campaigning for women and in particular violence against women and girls.
Shadow Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said he feels "pretty depressed" over JK Rowling's criticism of Labour’s stance on transgender rights.
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"I think that we’ve clearly got more work to do to rebuild trust with people that we’ve lost on this issue."
The shadow health secretary added: "I think we can find a way through that both treats trans people with the dignity and respect that they deserve, and also treats women with the respect that they deserve, particularly protecting women’s spaces, women’s voices, and right to speak up.
"So, when women like JK Rowling do speak up, I think it’s important we engage seriously with the arguments that she’s making, with the concerns that she has.
"And also we listen to what trans people are saying about the everyday injustices and indignities that they’re experiencing too, whether that’s hate crime or poor provision in public services."
He also said "biological women have felt excluded” at times in debates on transgender rights.
He told Times Radio: "I think at times in pursuit of inclusion we’ve ended up in a position where women have felt excluded, biological women have felt excluded.
"And there are practical examples of this in terms of things like NHS language and documentation."
Asked about Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s position on the issue, Streeting said: "I think what Keir has been trying to do on this – I think we all have – is to try and respect the fact that there are people whose gender identity is different from their biological sex and to try and be as inclusive as possible."
Writing in the Times this week, the Harry Potter author said she would find it hard to vote for Sir Keir Starmer, saying she has a "poor opinion" of his character.
Rowling accused the Labour leadership of a “dismissive and often offensive” approach to women's concerns.
Asked about her remarks, Starmer said: "I do respect her and I would point out the long track record Labour has in government of passing really important legislation that has enhanced the rights of women."
He said "these challenges are never over" and "further progress" was set out in Labour's election manifesto.
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Rowling had said: "The impression given by Starmer at Thursday's debate was that there had been something unkind, something toxic, something hard line in Rosie's words, even though almost identical words had sounded perfectly reasonable when spoken by Tony Blair."
She added: "For left-leaning women like us this isn't, and never has been, about trans people enjoying the rights of every other citizen and being free to present and identify however they wish.
"This is about the right of women and girls to assert their boundaries. It's about freedom of speech and observable truth."
