As I start to write this, the UK is about to vote for a new government. We all have hopes and fears about how the next few days pan out. We want to try and get it right so that the new Government make things better in those areas of life that really concern us. Some will be looking at the economy and wondering what it will take to generate growth. Others will focus on the NHS and how that should be funded, and ultimately made to work better. Others will have concerns around immigration and asylum, whether we should be setting limits, and if so, how do we enforce those limits? As a Christian, I believe our attitude, in every area, should have a Christian morality and thinking, informing and influencing the policies we hold dear.
You will not get my political views as such, (you might be able to guess, but I won’t be waving flags) because Christians will be voting for most of the parties offering candidates in this election. In what I write, my thoughts are my interpretation of how my personal Christian faith reconciles what I see around me with the teachings of the Bible. Personally, I believe we should be looking for ways to improve not just my own life situation, but more importantly the lived experience of the least well-off around us. So, reducing tax for me, might give me more pounds in my pocket, but will it make life better for the one-parent family, the jobless person, or the person on a hospital waiting list half a mile down the road? Would life be better for all with a higher tax rate? My personal view is that tax thresholds should be higher and that the more money we earn, the greater should be our contribution to the state. I can say that because neither the Labour nor Conservative parties have that in their manifesto, so I’m not pushing either agenda. You may have different thoughts, and that is fine.
However, because my concern in creating this website has been the welfare of LGBTQ+ people, I wanted to see the stance of each major party towards LGBTQ+ issues, so I have been looking at what each party says about what they plan to do if they form the next Government. At the time of writing all pundits are forecasting a devastating loss for the Conservative party and a history-making win for Labour. In real terms only two parties have any kind of chance of forming the next Government, the Labour and Conservative (Tory) Parties. Plaid Cymru and the Scottish Nationalist Party (both seeking independence for their countries from the UK) are only competing in Wales and Scotland respectively, so even on their most magical best days won’t have enough MP’s in the UK Parliament, to form a Government on their own. The Liberal Democrats only have pockets of the country where they are expected to do well, and are frequently seen as the party to vote for if you want to lodge a protest vote, usually to kick out an incumbent MP. The Green Party (focussing on climate issues) and Reform UK (led by Nigel Farage, and basically determined to destroy the Tory party) have reasonable support but will only pick up half a dozen or so (give or take) seats between them. In essence, the best hope for a smaller party is for an inconclusive election with no overall winner, so that they can then join forces with another larger party to create an overall majority in the House of Commons.
As is common with most elections, every party produces a manifesto of what it plans to do if it is lucky enough to form the next Government. This acts as a plumbline to measure off whether they have kept to their promises or not. For the smaller parties who have no chance of making it to the big table, the manifesto is really a statement of the things they stand for, although there isn’t a snowflake’s chance in Hell of that party gaining power. So recently Nigel Farage was asked whether he would remove the two-child cap on benefits, and he indicated he was in favour. He did it “off the cuff” without having to work out how it would be paid for, and that is the luxury of the smaller parties, in that they can propose ideas without “costing” them first.
So, as I say, I wanted to explore what the parties say about LGBTQ+ issues. If you want to download the manifestos of all the major parties, you can do so here: https://voteforpolicies.org.uk/blog/manifestos-for-the-2024-uk-general-election/. If you want to read a report giving an analysis of the Conservative and Labour party manifestos, you can download one report from UK in a Changing Europe, but don’t expect to find anything there on sexuality.
Phrases and lines that are in bold, when quoting from a manifesto, are straight lifts from the source, not my emphasis. I will tackle each party in alphabetical order starting with:
- The Conservative Party and Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
During the current campaign the Tories have been beset with problems: announcing the election in heavy rain; Sunak leaving the D-Day commemoration early; not having their candidates in place; Labour spotting odd behaviour by Tories, and reacting by hiring all the billboards in the most prominent places for advertising (normally the party in power would have already made sure that was done!); Tory staff betting on the date of the election; Sunak’s delays in reacting to the betting crisis; the Tory Chairman sending campaign leaflets to the wrong constituency; Sunak perceived to be saying he was deprived during childhood by not having “Sky TV”; … and others.
However, there are two manifestos, largely the same, but with a few differences. Dealing with the main Conservative manifesto first, on page 59, they write:
“Our plan for greater protections around sex and gender.
Biological sex is a reality. The overwhelming majority of people in this country recognise that. It is right that we have in place provisions and protections for those whose sense of self does not match their biological sex. However, we will not allow the safety and privacy of women and girls to be undermined.
It has been more than a decade since the Equality Act was passed by a Labour Government. It has not kept pace with evolving interpretations and is not sufficiently clear on when it means sex and when it means gender. The next Conservative Government will introduce primary legislation to clarify that the protected characteristic of sex in the Equality Act means biological sex.
This will guarantee that single sex services and single sex spaces can be provided, for example in healthcare and sports settings, to ensure women and girls are protected. We are clear that on fundamental matters of personal identity there should be one approach across the country, so we will also legislate so that an individual can only have one sex in the eyes of the law in the United Kingdom.
In recent years, an increasing number of children have started questioning their gender, the consequences of which are still unknown. This is why we will pass legislation to ensure schools must follow our guidance for teachers on how best to support gender questioning students in schools and colleges. Parents will have a right to know if their child wants to be treated as the opposite sex and schools will have to involve parents when it comes to decisions about their children. [This paragraph is different in the Scottish Conservative Manifesto, so check its alternative at the end of this section.]
We are clear that no one in this country should be harmed or harassed for who they are. That is why we are proud that the UK has one of the world’s strongest legislative frameworks to prevent and tackle discrimination and harassment against those with particular protected characteristics, including sexual orientation and gender reassignment. Attempts at so-called ‘conversion therapy’ are abhorrent. But legislation around conversion practices is a very complex issue, with existing criminal law already offering robust protections. The challenges involved can be seen, for example, with the SNP re-consulting for views on their proposals in Scotland and Sweden recently concluding that they will not be pursuing a similar ban. In light of the Cass Review Final Report, it is right that we take more time before reaching a final judgement on additional legislation in this area.”
On the next page, 60, under the section “Our plan to strengthen communities” they say: “We are proud of our record on delivering for LGBT people and will continue to do so. We passed the Same Sex Marriage Act to give same-sex couples the opportunity to enjoy the institution of marriage. We have delivered the largest national roll out of PrEP in Europe.” [Blog editor: – Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is used to reduce the risk of getting HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).]
Because this manifesto is so woolly and underwhelming, I feel I must add some comment. The passing of the same-sex marriage act was in 2013 and had the strong support of the Liberal Democrat Party who the Tories were in coalition with at the time. The Liberal Democrats had included a commitment to same-sex marriage in their 2010 election manifesto, whereas the Tories hadn’t. So, other than PReP, they’ve really done nothing positive for the LGBTQ+ community, that they can point to, for over ten years. They have had the opportunity to put through Bills on conversion therapy on more than one occasion, but because the Tory party have been so divided and half-hearted (note the manifesto blames the failure to produce legislation on it being so complicated), they haven’t been able to take the bills forward.
Why is the Tory party so divided: they have so many pressure groups within it, each pulling in different directions. The groupings are (and I can’t give every group or a description of each, for space reasons!): One Nation Conservatives; Thatcherites; European Research Group (ERG); Cornerstone Group; Tory Reform Group (TRG); Blue Collar Conservatives; Red Wall Tories; Free Market Forum (FMF); Conservative Environment Network (CEN); Brexit Delivery Group (not very active, but not ceased working); Northern Research Group (NRG); Conservative Way Forward (CWF): and Popular Conservatism or PopCon, (founded by Liz Truss and Jacob Rees Mogg earlier this year).
In the manifesto, the idea of safe single-sex areas sounds reasonable, except what it does is to see every Trans person as a predator and potential sex offender, and all of you will know that to be very wrong. Yes, there have been a couple of high-profile predators who have claimed to be Trans, but that doesn’t make all Trans-women and -men predators. When you look at the incidence of rape within society, there is very little effort made to deal with this, so if the same energy were focused there, as we see being targeted at Trans people, we might see a reduction in the figures. Of course, it is wholly right to keep women safe, but this is a smokescreen device to villainise all Trans people, because it is part of a “popularist” agenda. (I see Popularism as simplistic solutions to complex problems.)
Instead we have heard Rishi Sunak and others making jokes at the expense of Trans people, which is very sad as it points to an attitude of ignorance and not caring for those who need our respect, care and protection. If the Conservative Party continues its lurch to the right, the future for LGBTQ+ folk and Trans people – in particular – looks uncertain.
As I said earlier, there is a second, tailored version of the manifesto in Scotland, with these additions:
On page 4, when talking about young people, there is a section headed “To strengthen our communities”, under which they write:
“Protect female-only spaces and competitiveness in sport by making clear that sex means biological sex in the Equality Act.”
In the English version of the manifesto, I indicated one paragraph was changed in the Scottish version. They thought it was so good they printed the identical paragraph twice, on pages 31 and 60:
“The Scottish Conservatives would ensure that material and lessons in school are age appropriate and that parents are made aware of what their child will be taught in school. We will take forward statutory guidance to stop schools from sending intrusive questionnaires to young children on sexuality and gender. Parents will have a right to know if their child wants to be treated as the opposite sex and schools will have to involve parents when it comes to decisions about their children.
We will protect single sex spaces in public buildings.” [This line wasn’t included on page 31]
I suspect these changes are as a result of the slight differences we have seen in Scotland around the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill, and how the London government refused to allow it to become law.
- The Green Party
They don’t have significant sections, but have lots of short comments, so, on page 4 of their manifesto, they say:
“We will ensure that tailored and specific provision is readily available for the particular needs of communities of colour, children and adolescents, older people and Lesbian, Gay Bisexual, Trans, Intersex, Queer and Asexual (LGBTIQA+) communities.”
Then a couple of paragraphs further on they write:
“End new cases of HIV by 2030
Elected Greens will work towards no more HIV transmissions by 2030, advocating for a joined-up approach using proven actions, including access to the HIV prevention pill online, in pharmacies and from GP services. We will renew successful opt-out HIV testing programmes in A&Es in all areas with a high prevalence of HIV.”
Page 18 talks about: “Green MPs will push for pay-gap protections to be extended to all protected characteristics including ethnicity, disability and sexual orientation. We believe in equal pay for equal work and in the right to flexible working arrangements that will benefit women, carers and disabled people in particular.”
On page 30, when talking about schools, they promise to: “Retain a full, evidence-based and age-appropriate programme of Relationships, Sex and Health Education, including LGBTIQA+ content and resources.”
Finally on page 34 they write: “The Green Party supports self-ID, so that trans and non-binary people could be legally recognised in their chosen gender through self-declaration. We also support ending the spousal veto so that married trans people can acquire their gender recognition certification without having to obtain permission from their spouse, and to change the law so an X gender marker can be added to passports for non-binary and intersex people who wish to use it.”
It’s good to see self ID back in the picture, but in real terms, at this election, the Greens don’t look likely to be playing any significant role in, or part of, any future Government.
- The Labour Party
Labour is the most likely party to form the next Government at the time of writing, unless something truly cataclysmic happens between now and polling day – less than a week away. We have seen enough major disasters in the last few years politically, but for Labour to lose it now would mean something on a completely new scale, so whether you support them or not, these are the policies we need to pay most attention to, and they are to be found on page 89 of their manifesto:
“’Delivering opportunities for all’ means that everyone should be treated with respect and dignity. Labour will protect LGBT+ and disabled people by making all existing strands of hate crime an aggravated offence.
So-called conversion therapy is abuse – there is no other word for it – so Labour will finally deliver a full trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices, while protecting the freedom for people to explore their sexual orientation and gender identity.
We will also modernise, simplify, and reform the intrusive and outdated gender recognition law to a new process. We will remove indignities for trans people who deserve recognition and acceptance; whilst retaining the need for a diagnosis of gender dysphoria from a specialist doctor, enabling access to the healthcare pathway.
Labour is proud of our Equality Act and the rights and protections it affords women; we will continue to support the implementation of its single-sex exceptions.”
I may have cautions about the “single-sex exceptions”, but I’m pleased to see a trans-inclusive ban on conversion practices, an update for gender recognition and making hate crimes an aggravated offence (meaning a longer sentence or higher fines can be imposed). I would prefer a Self-ID for Trans and non-binary, and maybe we will get there in the future, but at least the direction is forward, whereas the Tory Government has been reversing its direction of travel recently, because of its desire to be popularist.
However, Labour have not been entirely clear over their Trans policies: on the one hand The Week report “Labour has reaffirmed its commitment to “modernise, simplify and reform” the process of legally changing gender.” They have a second article “Where does Labour stand on trans rights?” In addition, Pink News report that “Keir Starmer has said he is “not in favour” of “gender ideology” being taught in schools, despite his education spokesperson suggesting the party would review the Conservatives controversial guidance on trans pupils”. I think there is some nuance at play here so hopefully the true picture will become clearer soon.
- Liberal Democrat and Scottish Liberal Democrat
Again there are two manifestos here, but they look superficially similar with many of the same pictures. The Scottish manifesto layout sometimes has two pages on a landscape sheet and is 51 pages long, whereas the full UK version is 117 pages. I will therefore quote from the UK version as the Scottish one does not significantly differ.
On page 90/91, under the heading “Provide safe and legal routes to sanctuary for refugees by:” they say:
“Offering asylum to people fleeing the risk of violence because of their sexual orientation or gender identification, ending the culture of disbelief for LGBT+ asylum seekers, and never refusing an LGBT+ applicant on the basis that they could be discreet.”
On page 94 under Rights and Equality there is a promise to: “Respect and defend the rights of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, including trans and non-binary people. Ban all forms of conversion therapies and practices.”
I’m pleased that they have pledged to ban all forms of conversion therapies as well as recognising non-binary identities in law – that is a step forward. Then on page 96, they state they will:
“Reform the gender recognition process to remove the requirement for medical reports, recognise non-binary identities in law, and remove the spousal veto.”
“Improve diversity in the workplace and public life by:
- Requiring large employers to monitor and publish data on gender, ethnicity, disability, and LGBT+ employment levels, pay gaps and progression, and publish five-year aspirational diversity targets.
- Extending the use of name-blind recruitment processes in the public sector and encouraging their use in the private sector.
- Improving diversity in public appointments by setting ambitious targets and requiring progress reports to Parliament with explanations when targets are not met”
So, no medical reports required in the gender recognition process. Finally, looking at the international or worldwide policies on page 110, the Liberal Democrats say (among other policies) that they will “Protect, defend and promote human rights for all around the world by:
- Developing a comprehensive strategy for promoting the decriminalisation of homosexuality and advancing LGBT+ rights.”
So, we have some positive steps there, but there’s a lot of formal language which needs decoding to get a clear picture.
- Plaid Cymru (the Party of Wales)
The first of our Nationalist party manifestos brings together all their LGBTQ+ policies in one place on Page 70. They say:
“Recent years have seen the Conservative UK Government attempt to sow division within society by creating a series of so-called culture wars which uses real people and real people’s lived experiences against them.
We believe that there should be the highest respect for all people and communities.
We reaffirm our commitment to ensure that LGBTQ+ voices and experiences are heard and will continue to actively promote LGBTQ+ rights. We will promote LGBTQ+ inclusion throughout society, including all workplaces and participation in sport, as part of a broader effort towards healthier lifestyle.
Plaid Cymru would end so-called conversion therapy practices related to sexuality and gender identity.
We are concerned by the rise of hate crimes in recent years perpetrated against the LGBTQ+ community, in particular transphobia, and need to see this tackled by our Police forces.
Similarly, as part of their community outreach efforts, we would expect the Police to be promoting positive, affirming and trust building links with all minority sections of societies e.g. attending local Pride events and community diversity events.
We will continue to fight for equality for trans people. Having secured recurrent funding for a Wales Gender Identity Clinic so that people can receive support here in Wales, rather than traveling to London, we will work to improve the provision and ensure timely access to its services and support.
Plaid Cymru will seek the powers to present the Senedd with a proposal for simplified, demedicalised gender self-identification system.”
Then on the following page where they have a Welsh Pride flag picture, they add a caption saying: “We reaffirm our commitment to ensure that LGBTQ+ voices and experiences are heard and will continue to actively promote LGBTQ+ rights.”
I’m pleased to see that Plaid Cymru have called out the Tory Government saying, “the Conservative UK Government attempt to sow division within society by creating a series of so-called culture wars which uses real people and real people’s lived experiences against them.” This has been very harmful and should be an anathema to those who are Christians. As we read in Romans 12: 16-18, this time with my emphasis:
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Once again it is interesting to note that Plaid is working for a Self-ID system for Trans people, and it is refreshing to read clear proposals.
- Reform UK
This is the manifesto I find the most troubling and depressing, and the one that has the least connection to any Christian values. I didn’t want to include it, but as they receive so much media attention, I felt obligated. Reform UK thrives on antagonism and division with its very popularist and self-centred policies. On page 2, it says:
“Record mass immigration has damaged our country. The small boats crisis threatens our security. Multiculturalism has imported separate communities that reject our way of life. Divisive, ‘woke’ ideology has captured our public institutions. Transgender indoctrination is causing irreversible harm to children”
Last time, I promised never to use that “w” word again, but that one wasn’t me! I must point out that it is Biblical to think of and care for people who have been harmed and disenfranchised by society, those who can’t defend themselves, those who have no voice, “the alien, the widow and the orphan”. On page 11, under the heading “Ban Transgender Ideology in Primary and Secondary Schools”, they say:
“No gender questioning, social transitioning or pronoun swapping. Inform parents of under 16s about their children’s life decisions. Schools must have single sex facilities.”
Then on page 16, under the headings “Mandate Single Sex Spaces” and “Review the Online Safety Bill”, they say, respectively:
Public toilets and changing areas must provide single sex facilities.
Social media giants that push baseless transgender ideology and divisive Critical Race theory should have no role in regulating free speech.
Scottish National Party/SNP
This is our second and final nationalist party, and I expected a bit more from them in this area of gender and sexuality, given that they had supported the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill in 2022, but the only related promises in their manifesto were on page 26 under the heading “Protect and enhance the rights of LGBTI community” and said:
The SNP has a proud record of advancing and championing LGBTI rights in government, and we will continue to build on this, working with LGBTI communities, to make Scotland a fairer and more equal place to live. With independence we would have the full powers to improve equality in law and society, and the ability to champion LGBTI equality internationally.
It’s really disappointing to find nothing new, and no policies for the future.
So, what do you make of those commitments? Which is the one you think stands out to you. I’m sure everyone will feel that no manifesto is perfect and “could do better”, but which do you choose? For me, my current favourite (entirely subjective) manifesto from an LGBTQ+ perspective, would be Plaid Cwmru. That is, until somebody persuades me to change my mind! 😊
How then should you vote? That’s your choice. Ultimately, you need to decide whether to vote solely based on a party’s attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people, or whether you look at the wider economic or political picture of each party. It may be that in your view, your party’s stance towards LGBTQ+ issues, coupled with their attitude to economic outlook, trading and taxation exactly match! That keeps life simple! Others may need to compromise their politics if their LGBTQ+ views are paramount, or vice versa, but please vote. Even if you think it’s a done deal and you don’t need to, or that there is no hope, please vote. If you don’t like any of the party’s, do it anyway, but put a line through your ballot paper — at least you have actively played your part.
For further reading. The Metro had a major article explaining the different stances of the party’s towards LGBTQ+ issues which you can read here. They take a slightly different line to me, because they do not directly quote the manifesto wordings, but summarise them. It’s a helpful read which I did after finishing, in order that I wouldn’t be too influenced.
Next time there is a possibility we might have one of the “My Story” Blogs updated, which would be great. It might even come out early, who knows! So much water has yet to flow under that bridge! If that doesn’t happen, I’m sure there will be something in the news to comment on. Get voting!
Changing Minds 