I was elected as a Labour Councillor to Cambridge City Council in 2014 and re elected in May this year. Just five weeks after the elections, the Council’s breach of the 2010 Equality Act surfaced on Twitter. Just ten days after the Act became law, an amendment to the Council’s Equality policy had been voted through committee. This amendment abolished women-only facilities in the city including toilets and changing rooms – and plunged the council into illegality. It meant that male-born transwomen could access female facilities.
The council further breached the Act by failing to consult with women and by not conducting an Equality Impact Assessment to assess potential negative consequences on those affected by the change. Instead of taking immediate steps to remedy its illegality by rescinding the amendment, the Council decided to prevaricate until October, and thereby kept the matter under wraps.
I had no wish to be party to unlawfulness, nor did I want to collude in keeping it from Cambridge women and other residents who had the right to know.
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