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Education Secretary flounders on changing gender at 16

Back to school for Gillian Keegan. It seems that the Education Secretary hasn’t learnt her lines properly, judging by her performance on this morning’s media round. The Chichester MP appeared on Sky’s breakfast show today, follows last night’s news that the Westminster government will block Holyrood’s Gender Recognition Reform Bill.

Keegan was invited by Kay Burley to give her thoughts on whether 16 is too young to decide your gender identity; the Education Secretary obligingly took the bait. ‘No, I don’t actually, I think 16, I was working at 16, I was paying tax at 16, I was making decisions for myself at 16.’ Such a view of course is not shared by either the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, Labour’s Keir Starmer or many of Keegan’s own Tory colleagues – with all but three at Holyrood voting against the measure last month.

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Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

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