JK Rowling takes aim at Labour women’s minister

It’s the third day of Sir Keir’s Labour government and Starmer has finished making his ministerial appointments. But not everyone is thrilled by the final list. Emily Thornberry has already hit out at Starmer’s snub, after the long-time parliamentarian was passed over for a government role, and now JK Rowling has taken to Twitter/ X to slam the new PM’s choices.

After Starmer’s appointment of Anneliese Dodds as women and equalities minister was announced, the Harry Potter author decided to remind her followers of one of Dodds’ more baffling conversations. Just two years ago, the Labour politician was quizzed by Emma Barnett on the BBC’s Woman’s Hour about her party’s definition of a woman. The discussion that followed was rather bizarre – to put it mildly.

EB: And Labour’s definition of a woman?

AD: Well, I have to say that there are different definitions legally around what a woman actually is. I mean you look at the definition within the Equality Act and I think it just says someone who is adult and female, I think, but then doesn’t say how you define either of those things.