Labour sparks bitter trans row after appointing health minister who claims people can identify as llamas: 'It's delusional!'

However, the appointment has sparked controversy after Dalton's comments from 2016 resurfaced, where she claimed that if someone chose to identify "as a llama", they should be "treated with dignity and respect".

The new minister also advocated for the abolition of gendered bathrooms, saying: "Personally, I think we shouldn't have gendered bathrooms at all."

Discussing Dalton's remarks on GB News, broadcaster Dr Renee Hoenderkamp questioned "what hope is there for our children" if Labour's new health minister is "buying into delusion".

She fumed: "There have been so many stories today as a doctor that I find absolutely astounding that fall under this umbrella. This is delusion. Health ministers are buying into what is a delusion.

"You cannot become the opposite sex, it's delusional. And if this is who we've got in charge, what hope is there for our children? Teaching them at school what is actually biological right? What hope is there for sorting out our NHS into the really important scientific basis of male and female treatment?"

Defending Dalton, commentator Nigel Nelson claimed that although he believes there are "two sexes", gender is where they disagree.

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:

• Starmer's new Health Minister claimed people can identify as LLAMAS after replacing MP
• 'I'm biologically female!' Trans doctor adamant trans women can get changed in front of females
• NHS covers 1,000 trans chest surgery patients every year as taxpayers fund 'cruelty for parents'

Nelson argued: "If you identify as a llama or a lamppost or a laptop, I think that at best, it's a philosophical point, isn't it? Because you can't really identify as a llama unless you are a llama."

Dr Hoenderkamp interjected Nelson's point, hitting back: "Hang on - if you can't identify as a llama unless you are a llama, how do you identify as a woman when you're not a woman? You can't have it every which way?"

Nelson responded: "That's something different, isn't it? Because what we've got is the Gender Recognition Act, which says that somebody who has gender dysphoria and lives in the required gender for two years can identify as a woman, so I'm prepared to take the legal position here and say that those people are women."

Dr Hoenderkamp then argued: "So when the law is also changed to say that as long as you live as a llama out in the field for two years, you are a llama, you'll accept that too?"

As Nelson claimed that the debate is "only over words", Dr Hoenderkamp stated: "The argument is over science, Nigel, it's over chromosomes."

Weighing in on the debate, host Andrew Pierce questioned the decision made by Starmer to appoint Dalton as the new minister.

Andrew asked: "What possessed the Prime Minister with over 400 MPs to choose from to make his new health minister somebody who thinks it's okay to identify as a llama? What possessed him to do that?"

Dr Hoenderkamp concluded: "Because Labour think they have such a whopping majority, they can do what they damn well please, and it's to hell with everybody."