Labour’s trans rights problem

How do you save a party that doesn’t want to be saved? Tony Blair doesn’t know but it hasn’t stop him trying. He is now warning Labour against retreating into a safe space of identity politics and angry, hectoring progressivism. Specifically, he has in mind the transgender movement and its astonishingly swift march through the institutions, including the Labour party.

Blair cautioned: ‘You have got to distinguish between the advocacy of things that are right — gay rights, transgender rights, whatever it is — and launching yourself politically into a culture war with the right. If you go, “Transgender rights is our big thing,” and the right goes, “Immigration controls is our big thing,” you’re going to lose that. You’re not going to be advancing any of the things you want to do.’

This puts him at odds with Labour leadership candidates Lisa Nandy and Rebecca Long-Bailey, both of whom have signed a pledge card put out by the Labour Campaign for Trans Rights.